Rising Texas Longhorns safety Jason Hall won't be delivering any perfect form tackles against the Iowa State Cyclones this weekend, as defensive coordinator Vance Bedford revealed on Wednesday that Hall will miss the game with a patellar tendon injury he suffered last weekend against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Presumably the injury isn't serious enough to have warranted an announcement earlier in the week, which would seem to bode well for Hall's return in the near future. However, that will depend on whether it was a strain caused by one incident or whether it's something more serious like tendinosis that results from micro tears caused by repeated injuries.
The first true freshman starter at safety since Blake Gideon in 2008, Hall took over the starting job from sophomore Adrian Colbert in the fourth game and had been a staple in the nickel package for several games before that. In his first extended action, he made his presence felt against UCLA with several big hits.
On the year, Hall has 24 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one pass broken up.
He'll be replaced by Collbert, the former starter, and senior Josh Turner, who has seen limited playing time since returning from suspension against UCLA.