Offseason Update: Texas banged up but impressing 20 days out

The Longhorns sustained one injury of note but looked good in the team’s first scrimmage.

The Texas Longhorns’ first scrimmage took place Saturday morning. There were several newsworthy items for the team to address.

The list of noteworthy occurrences start with freshman quarterback Arch Manning, who seems to have hit another gear in his acclimation to facing college quality talent.

Not every Texas offensive player had a great day. Wide receiver Jordan Whittington appeared to sustain an upper body injury, which we’ll address later.

Context matters with injuries, though many outsiders will jump the gun as they did with Kelvin Banks’ injury last camp. That said, we don’t know the severity of Whittington’s injury, so we will not claim it is insignificant. It’s not yet reason for panic, however, and nothing yet changes in regard to expectations for the team and loaded receiver unit.

Here’s a look at some of the major takeaways from the scrimmage.

Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington out for the regular season

Another year, another heartbreaking injury diagnosis for Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington.

Another year, another heartbreaking injury diagnosis for Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington.

Steve Sarkisian confirmed Whittington was going to be out for the rest of the regular season with a clavicle injury. He injured it diving for a ball during Texas’ loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 9.

This will mark the second regular season-ending injury of his career. However, a return at some point in the postseason was not ruled out by the head coach.

“It’d be great to get him back, whether it’s a possible Big 12 Championship or bowl game, I know he wants to work back,” said Sarkisian.

Whittington came to Austin as a five-star prospect with a lot of hope. Injuries have done nothing but derail his career over the past three seasons. A groin injury ended a much-anticipated freshman season. A mix of knee and hip problems only let him play in five guys last year and now, the clavicle.

Performances may have been inconsistent but Whittington was on pace to have a great season. Through six games, he managed 24 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns. With all the attention Xavier Worthy was going to attract from Big 12 defenses in the second half of the season, breakout numbers could have been on deck.

Looking to the rest of the Texas wide receiver room, Joshua Moore and Xavier Worthy will remain Casey Thompson’s favorite targets. To replace Whittington, Sarkisian mentioned Marcus Washington and Kelvontay Dixon.

Washington has started three games this season, notably blocking for Worthy on his opening play touchdown against Oklahoma. The junior has been waiting for his moment to break out. An opportunity awaits over the next six games.

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Texas HC Tom Herman provides update on Jordan Whittington’s injury

Texas head coach Tom Herman provided more details on Jordan Whittington’s hip flexor injury when speaking to the media Monday.

Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington hasn’t had the best of luck with injuries since he’s arrived in Austin. Continue reading “Texas HC Tom Herman provides update on Jordan Whittington’s injury”

Report: Texas WR Jordan Whittington to miss time with another injury

It was reported Sunday night that Texas Longhorns redshirt freshman wide receiver Jordan Whittington is once again going to miss time.

Before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Texas Longhorns saw the return of wide receiver Jordan Whittington. He needed an arthroscopic surgery to remain a knee injury he suffered against UTEP in the season opener. Against the Sooners, Whittington led the team in receptions and now sits second on the team behind Joshua Moore.

According to Horns247, Whittington will once again be away from the team while recovering from an injury. The report states that he suffered a soft tissue abdominal injury in the Oklahoma game. This marks the third injury that will cost the talented receiver time.

Whittington is a former five-star recruit that was expected to have a big role in the offense from the slot. He played a majority of the snaps in the slot due to Jake Smith reagravating his hamstring injury he suffered prior to the season opener. It remains to be seen when either receiver will return. Head coach Tom Herman will address the media on Monday and hopefully get some answers.

The report from 247Sports stated that Whitt will miss “some time”, so at this point there isn’t a time table for his return. This season he has caught 12 passes for 110 yards and one rush for another 15. Longhorns Wire will provide more details as they are made available.

 

Jordan Whittington out for game after knee injury

Another season, another injury in the season opener for Jordan Whittington. He suffered a right knee injury late in the first half vs UTEP.

Another season, another injury in the season opener for Jordan Whittington. The redshirt freshman suffered a right knee injury late in the first half against UTEP. According to Texas officials, he will miss the entire second half.

After being targeted on a pass from quarterback Sam Ehlinger, Whittington limped off to the sideline. He never re-entered the game and will now miss the rest of the season opener.

Before exiting, Whittington managed two receptions for 45 yards plus one carry for 15 yards. With Jake Smith dealing with a hamstring injury, Whittington was Texas’ main slot receiver.

Last year, the former five-star prospect was dealing with a sports hernia in the season opener against Louisiana Tech. It caused him to miss the entire 2019 season.

Going forward, Texas could be thin at the slot receiver position. Smith is expected to be back for the Big 12 opener against Texas Tech but with a hamstring, you never know. Third-string Dajon Harrison opted out of the 2020 season.

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