Texas’ first fall scrimmage came with a few missing pieces, and Ty’Anthony Smith was one of the names on the list.
Steve Sarkisian said Saturday that Smith and five other players sat out as the Longhorns dealt with a flu bug. The full group of absences included LB Rasheem Biles, CB John Meredith III, LB Ty’Anthony Smith, WR Daylan McCutcheon, DL Justus Terry and LB Brad Spence. Sarkisian did not specify which players were out because of illness and which might have been dealing with injuries.
Smith’s absence lands at an interesting moment in Texas’ linebacker room. The Longhorns lost Anthony Hill Jr. to the NFL this offseason, while Liona Lefau and Elijah Barnes entered the transfer portal. Texas then added four linebackers through the portal: Rasheem Biles from Pitt, Justin Cryer from Florida State, Markus Boswell from Akron and Darius Snow from Michigan State.
Smith had been viewed as one of the key returnees at the position, with a path toward starting in 2026 alongside Biles. That outlook looked even stronger after he finished last season with two interceptions in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan.
But Smith’s offseason shoulder surgery, plus Cryer’s rise during fall camp, has made the competition more complicated. Smith missed most of spring and only recently started building back up, something Sarkisian addressed last week.
"We all know the athleticism of Ty'Anthony, and he's starting to flash more," Sarkisian said. "He flashed more today than he has in any practice, which is a good sign."
Cryer, meanwhile, has kept drawing strong praise from Sarkisian, and the signs have pointed toward Smith’s projected starting job being under pressure.
Smith arrived as a true freshman in 2024 and quickly made his presence felt, appearing in all 16 games. He picked off a pass in the win over Florida and added a half sack two weeks later against Kentucky.
His role expanded in 2025. Smith played in 12 games with one start and finished with 59 total tackles, including 39 solo stops, along with two sacks, two forced fumbles and those two interceptions against Michigan.
He also dealt with discipline issues late in the year, getting ejected for targeting in the second half against Arkansas. That forced him to sit out the first half against Texas A&M, though he returned and logged four total tackles in the upset win over the Aggies.
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