Texas heads into Saturday’s game against Ole Miss with two edge rushers in doubt, and one of them may be facing a longer absence. Richard Wesley was ruled out on the SEC Availability report because of an ankle sprain, while Colin Simmons was listed as doubtful after the ankle injury he suffered in Texas’ loss to Florida last week.
That matters because the injury report now puts Texas in a difficult spot at JACK, where Simmons and Wesley sit at the top of the rotation. The next names on the chart are Colton Vasek and then Smith Orogbo, who did not dress out against Florida. For a defense that has leaned on speed off the edge, that is not a simple shuffle.
Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods reported that Wesley’s injury is a high ankle sprain, the kind that often lingers longer than a standard twist or roll. Richardson said there are concerns behind the scenes that Wesley could miss the remainder of the regular season, even as the focus stays on treatment and a quick recovery. Simmons, by contrast, has been viewed as someone who could miss multiple weeks but still has a path back before the regular season ends.
That is the friction in Texas’ injury picture: both players are out for Ole Miss, but they are not carrying the same outlook. Simmons may return before the regular season is over. Wesley may not. That leaves Texas preparing for Saturday with its top two JACK edge rushers unavailable and the depth chart pushed toward Vasek, with Orogbo next in line if the staff needs more help.
For now, Texas is expected to face Ole Miss without Simmons and Wesley, and Wesley’s recovery timetable is the one that could reshape the rest of the regular season.
