Texas star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. will miss Friday night’s SEC rivalry showdown against No. 3 Texas A&M in Austin, a huge blow to a Longhorns defense that was already sure to be challenged to slow down the high-powered Aggies offense.
The junior stud was a question mark throughout this week to begin with, being listed as questionable in the leadup to the Lone Star Showdown. That questionable tag on Hill became a game-time decision on Friday, but when the Longhorns came out for pregame warmups for the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, Hill wasn’t wearing pads or a helmet, signaling that he would miss this crucial contest.
Hill is the heart and soul of Texas‘s defense and also its leading tackler this season with 70 total tackles, including 38 solo. He also has 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 2 interceptions, so his absence against Marcel Reed and that explosive Aggies offense will be huge.
Here is the video of Hill coming out with his teammates for warmups but without any pads or helmet:
Hill had been nursing a hand injury that he suffered in Texas’s Week 12 loss to Georgia. And while he returned that night against the Bulldogs, Hill missed last week’s game against Arkansas.
Now, he’ll miss another game on Friday night, the ultimate game, as the 8-3 Longhorns cling to life for a College Football Playoff berth.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
