The Longhorns will be without both starters in Nashville.
The negative injury trend for Texas Longhorns junior wide receiver Isaiah Bond continued with Friday’s injury report prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville — the Alabama Crimson Tide transfer will not play.
Bond sustained an ankle injury against Oklahoma and was able to play through it for 60 snaps against Georgia, but after he was initially listed as questionable on Wednesday’s injury report, he was downgraded to questionable on Thursday before he was ruled out on Friday.
Texas will also be without senior safety Andrew Mukuba. After head coach Steve Sarkisian called Mukuba “questionable” on Monday with the left knee injury sustained against Georgia, the Clemson transfer was downgraded to doubtful on Wednesday’s injury report. Sarkisian hinted that the staff would be conservative with Mukuba’s injury given the bye week coming up after the trip to Nashville.
The Longhorns will also be without three scholarship running backs as redshirt senior Velton Gardner remains out, as does sophomore safety Derek Williams with his season-ending knee injury.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt removed all seven players from the injury report who were previously listed as probable — tight end Eli Stowers, linebacker Langston Patterson, running back AJ Newberry, cornerback Martel Hight, running back Sedrick Alexander, edge Miles Capers, and defensive lineman Linus Zunk. Cornerback Kolbey Taylor was upgraded from questionable to probable.