Steve Sarkisian gives CFP injury updates on Texas starters Kelvin Banks and Isaiah Bond before facing Clemson
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to give injury updates this season under the new SEC availability reports, a sort of NFL-style injury report. That’s not the case in the College Football Playoffs. The CFP does not require teams to disclose its players’ injury status going into Saturday’s first-round games. But Sarkisian indicated that both […]
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to give injury updates this season under the new SEC availability reports, a sort of NFL-style injury report.
That’s not the case in the College Football Playoffs.
The CFP does not require teams to disclose its players’ injury status going into Saturday’s first-round games. But Sarkisian indicated that both left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and receiver Isaiah Bond are likely to play against 12th-seeded Clemson.
“They’re both improving, which is great for us,” Sarkisian said Thursday on a Zoom call with Texas reporters. “They’re both showing great progress.”
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Both suffered ankle injuries in recent games. Banks was accidentally leg-whipped during the Texas A&M game and had to miss the SEC championship game against Georgia. Bond had his leg rolled up late against Georgia in Atlanta.
At various points, for those reading the tea leaves, Sarkisian has sounded more optimistic about Banks than Bond. Banks also met with reporters on Monday, a sign that he’s likely to play. Bond hasn’t met with reporters during the routine Monday press conferences all season long.
If given a choice, the Longhorns would prefer to have their Outland- and Lombardi-winning left tackle back in the lineup this week. Banks started all season long until he went down after seven plays against A&M. Backup Trevor Goosby performed well against the Aggies but struggled against the Bulldogs.
Banks is expected to go pro after this season, so the CFP is most likely his last hurrah with the Horns.
Sarkisian pointed out that UT signed seven offensive linemen in the class of 2022, and six of those were mid-year enrollees.
“Kelvin was the one that was not,” Sarkisian said. “But then he’s turning around starting as a true freshman. His second career start is against Alabama, and he’s blocking two top-10 picks in Will Anderson and Dallas Turner. I just think that speaks to the volume of the type of competitor he is, the calming demeanor that he has in some of the most stressful moments.”
