Texas will have to move forward without Ty’Anthony Smith for now, and that’s a real hit to the Longhorns’ linebacker room.
The junior is no longer with the program, according to a report from Orangebloods on Friday evening. Multiple other outlets confirmed the news.
That comes just a week after Smith had already stepped away to handle “ personal matters ” and missed last weekend’s scrimmage because of illness, as head coach Steve Sarkisian explained. In Anwar Richardson’s report, there is still a possibility Smith could return to the Forty Acres, but Texas is currently operating without him.
Smith, a 6’1, 214-pound linebacker, had been practicing well before the illness that led to weight loss, making his absence even more notable for a team that had counted on him for depth and possibly more.
His path to Texas was a little unusual. A consensus four-star recruit, Smith was ranked No. 350 nationally and No. 27 among linebackers in the 247Sports Composite. He arrived as a late addition to the 2024 class after flipping from Texas A&M during the early signing period.
As a freshman, Smith carved out a role mostly on special teams, appearing in all 16 games and contributing across three units. He finished with 16 tackles, including eight solo stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sack and an interception in the blowout win over Florida.
His sophomore season looked much more like a player on the rise. Smith played 450 snaps in 12 games and made his first career start in the Citrus Bowl win over Michigan. He finished with 60 tackles, good for fifth on the team, along with 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Those two picks came in his breakout showing against the Wolverines, when Smith led Texas with nine tackles, eight of them solo, added a tackle for a three-yard loss and recorded a quarterback hurry after starters Anthony Hill Jr. and Liona Lefau both opted out.
That performance seemed to put Smith in line for a bigger role this season. Instead, Texas addressed the position through the transfer portal, adding former Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles and Florida State veteran Justin Cryer.
Now the Longhorns need someone else to step into the rotation. Michigan State transfer Darius Snow brings six years of experience, while freshmen Tyler Atkinson and Kosi Okpala offer upside as Texas sorts through the loss of a player who had looked ready to matter even more.
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