Several Longhorns to miss season-opener vs. Louisiana Tech

When the Texas Longhorns take the field against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday evening, they’ll do so without a number of potential contributors.

On Monday while meeting with the media for his preseason press conference, Texas head coach Tom Herman announced that the Horns will be without sophomore Z receiver Joshua Moore as he serves a suspension due to a misdemeanor gun charge. Herman later added that Moore’s status will be continually re-evaluated as the legal process plays out.

On the injury front, Texas will most notably be without several members of its running back room. As expected, junior Daniel Young, who recently suffered a high ankle sprain, will not see the field, nor will redshirt senior Kirk Johnson as he continues to rehab a shoulder injury. The Longhorns will also be without walk-on running back Jarrett Smith.

Given the considerable lack of depth at the position with only three scholarship options in sophomore Keaontay Ingram, freshman Jordan Whittington, and former walk-on safety Mason Ramirez, Herman said freshman quarterback Roschon Johnson has been receiving reps at running back throughout the previous week.

“Level of concern is high,” Herman said regarding the injuries in the running back room. “We were supposed to have five scholarship running backs and had they all stayed healthy, we would have had five.”

“We need them. They have to go,” Herman later said of Ingram and Whittington.

Herman did note that freshman running back Derrian Brown, who suffered a stroke just days before National Signing Day, has arrived on campus, though he won’t play in 2019.

Up front, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Reese Moore will be held out of action after recently undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

However, Herman did say he expects senior center Zach Shackelford to suit up following a foot injury that cut his fall camp short, and junior tight end Cade Brewer, who was recently diagnosed with a concussion, has been cleared to play.

Senior nose tackle Gerald Wilbon’s status remains day-to-day, but Herman said Wilbon “would not practice today if we had a practice.”