Thursday post-practice Texas injury update

AUSTIN, Texas — The health of the Texas Longhorns improved during the bye week, thanks in part to decreased time on the field since the Horns were able to start preparing last week for Saturday’s game against the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown.

Following practice on Thursday, head coach Tom Herman revealed that sophomore nickel back BJ Foster is expected to return from the hamstring injury that sidelined him for the last two games. He’s currently penciled in as a starter, which would allow senior Brandon Jones to return to his typical safety position.

Senior wide receiver Collin Johnson will travel with the team after also missing the last two games due to a hamstring injury, but Herman called him a game-time decision.

“We’re not going to let him go unless he’s 100 percent,” Herman said. “We don’t want this thing to linger or continue to nag him. So we’ll play it by ear and a lot of it is going to be how he feels.”

As a senior team captain, Herman trusts Johnson to be honest about his body feels, so if he says that he’s 100 percent, then he’ll play on Saturday. Right now, Herman considers him ahead of schedule following the PRP injection he received, which trades some short-term healing to ensure a full recovery and proper healing.

Less clear is the status of sophomore safety DeMarvion Overshown, who has missed the last two games due to a vertebrae injury. Herman wasn’t sure if Overshown will be among the 70 players traveling to Morgantown, but Overshown is currently listed as doubtful until Herman finds out more about his injury situation on Thursday evening.

Other Longhorns with longer-term injuries, like sophomore cornerback Jalen Green (dislocated shoulder), sophomore safety Caden Sterns (knee), and junior cornerback Josh Thompson (fractured foot) won’t travel with the team.