Texas’ depth at edge rusher just took another hit, and this one may linger longer than anyone first expected.
The Longhorns were already bracing for life without Colin Simmons after he suffered what was reported to be an ankle sprain in last week’s loss to Florida. Simmons was later listed as doubtful on the SEC Availability report, and the assumption around the program was that he could be sidelined for multiple weeks.
The next man up was supposed to be true freshman Richard Wesley. He, too, ended up on the injury report, listed as OUT because of an ankle sprain of his own.
At the time, that already complicated Texas’ plans at the JACK spot. Now, a report from Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods suggests the situation could be worse than originally believed.
"I learned that Texas freshman edge rusher Richard Wesley, who has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss, sustained a high ankle sprain," Richardson said on X. "There are concerns behind the scenes that he could miss the remainder of the regular season.""
For now, the focus is on treatment in hopes of a speedy recovery. Texas is expected to face Ole Miss without edge rushers Colin Simmons and Wesley."
That leaves Texas staring at a serious shortage on the edge, with its top two JACK defenders unavailable for the foreseeable future. Simmons still has a path back before the regular season ends, depending on how his recovery goes. Wesley, though, now sounds like he could be out even longer.
On the depth chart, the most obvious option is Colton Vasek, who is third behind Simmons and Wesley. Freshman Smith Orogbo is next up, though he did not dress out against Florida and wouldn’t be expected to see the field.
Texas could also look to Brad Spence or Zina Umeozulu. Umeozulu has the kind of positional flexibility that would let him handle the JACK role, while Spence already has plenty of experience there from the last season and a half.
Spence’s usage tells the story. In 2025, he had 116 snaps rushing the passer, and that produced 19 pressures and four sacks. In 2026, he has rushed 16 times, with two pressures and no sacks.
If Texas wants the cleanest short-term fix without reshuffling too much defensively, Spence looks like the likeliest answer.
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The dates are already set for Sept. 9, 2028, in South Bend and Sept. 22, 2029, in Austin, giving Texas a marquee trip and a return game in front of its own fans. It also lines up with the Longhorns stated preference to keep valued nonconference dates on the calendar, the kind of matchups that can still carry real weight even in a sport where the postseason picture is getting larger and more forgiving. [Read more 🡒]