Texas LB De’Gabriel Floyd will miss remainder of spring practice

The inexperienced Texas Longhorns linebacker corps took a hit on Wednesday when head coach Tom Herman announced after practice that early enrollee De’Gabriel Floyd won’t practice for the remainder of spring:

The 6’2, 240-pounder participated in the Under Armour All-American game back in January, but was never cleared for full contact after he arrived in Austin due to lingering stinger issues in his neck.

Throughout spring practice, Floyd received tests and evaluations in an effort to determine an effective treatment for him. Unfortunately for the California product and the Longhorns, those tests and evaluations didn’t produce enough improvement to allow him to see the practice field without wearing a green jersey.

Following the departures of Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler, the two starting inside linebackers for Texas in 2018, Herman and his staff worked hard on the recruiting trail to identify and land talented players.

Floyd was the top-ranked prospect in that group and expectations were high that he would be able to contribute this season. In the best-case scenario, a full spring practice was going to be a springboard to early playing time. Now, the hope is simply that his neck responds the rest and treatment so his young Texas career can get back on track.