Texas Monday injury update

Coming out of Saturday’s game against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Texas Longhorns were not healthy after three straight weeks of games following a limited offseason and altered preseason training camp.

In fact, had the game gone to a fifth overtime, Texas might have had a walk-on safety in the game after several injuries and several players who left the field with what appeared to be cramps.

So this is a team that needs the second bye week of the season to get healthy, as head coach Tom Herman laid out on Monday.

Sophomore running back Roschon Johnson only carried the ball three times against Oklahoma and wasn’t able to get past the line of scrimmage, finishing with -3 yards and leaving the game after aggravating a shoulder injury that limited him to five carries the previous week against TCU. Herman hopes to have him back at practice by the end of the week.

For the third time this season, sophomore wide receiver Jake Smith didn’t play, this time after aggravating his hamstring injury in pregame warmups. Smith originally suffered the injury in the week before the season opener against UTEP. In the first start of his career against TCU, Smith had five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Herman also expects Smith back in practice by the end of the week.

Texas has some injuries in the starting secondary, too.

Redshirt senior safety Chris Brown was dealing with an issue on the back of his shoulder and suffered an injury to the front of that same shoulder late in the Oklahoma game. Brown will have that arm in a sling this week before a potential return to practice next week.

Junior safety Caden Sterns didn’t play against Oklahoma due to a turf toe injury. Sterns attempted to go through pregame warmups, but wasn’t able to push off on it to the extent that he was capable of playing. The end of the week is the target date for his return to practice.

Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Thompson has a minor ankle sprain and would not be available for practice on Monday and should also return by the end of the week.

In addition, junior safety BJ Foster was wearing a cast on his right hand against Oklahoma. Foster led the team with 13 tackles.

Herman did not provide an update on redshirt junior Jack Reese Leitao, who missed the Oklahoma game due to a knee sprain that he suffered against TCU, or sophomore safety Tyler Owens, who also missed the Oklahoma game after suffering a hamstring injury against TCU.

The other unknown in terms of injuries is how long redshirt sophomore linebacker Ayodele Adeoye will be out following shoulder surgery.