Texas has opened fall camp with a relatively clean injury sheet, but two freshmen in the secondary were missing during Thursday’s 20-minute media viewing window.
Cornerback Samari “Smoke” Matthews and safety Yaheim Riley were not out there with the rest of the defensive backs when Texas Longhorns on SI watched practice, and they were absent again on Thursday after Inside Texas first reported on Wednesday that both players had been held out. Steve Sarkisian did not mention any injuries after Day 1, and it remains unclear whether either player is dealing with a physical issue or simply working elsewhere.
There’s also no confirmation on whether Matthews or Riley took part before or after the media portion of practice. But during the window, they were not on the field running drills. Matthews wears No. 11 and Riley No. 31, and those numbers were accounted for by running backs Michael Terry III and James Simon, both of whom were practicing.
The two freshmen were missing from a defensive backs group that included Graceson Littlelon, Jonah Williams, Kade Phillips, Kobe Black, Jordan Johnson-Rubell and others. During interception drills against air, Williams and Black were among the players making plays on the ball, while Matthews and Riley were nowhere to be seen.
Matthews, a four-star recruit in the 2026 class, drew plenty of praise during spring ball and is viewed as a major piece of Texas’ defensive future once he gets more experience under his belt.
Riley, a three-star prospect from Austin Anderson High School, is aiming to become the latest Austin product to make his mark in the Longhorns secondary, following Jahdae Barron, Michael Taaffe and Andrew Mukuba.
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