Texas rules Ja'Tavion Sanders, Ryan Watts out for second half vs. Kansas

Injuries have plagued Texas against Kansas, with a couple of key guys going down. One of those was tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, with Steve Sarkisian revealing an ankle injury was suffered in the first quarter. Cornerback Ryan Watts went down too and unfortunately, there is unfortunate news on both.

ESPN’s Molly McGrath revealed Sanders and Watts have been ruled out for the second half. Both are critical players for Texas and will be missed. Currently in a battle against Kansas, Sarkisian is going to have to trust his depth moving forward.

“Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is out for the rest of the game with a left ankle injury,” McGrath said before Texas’ offensive first drive of the second half. “He just came out of the locker room in street clothes. And corner Ryan Watts is also ruled out for the second half with a leg injury.”

Sanders was attempting to block and was rolled up on when Texas was down in the red zone. Always a scary moment, especially since Sanders’ back was to the play. He had no idea somebody was about to land on his ankle.

As for Watts, he never went down on the field and was able to walk off the field under his own power. However, it was with a limp and maybe was not thought much of since Texas rotates at cornerback quite frequently. But a leg injury is going to keep him out for the rest of the game vs. Kansas.

Watts is considered a starting cornerback and has been since transferring in from Ohio State. Kansas is a team primarily looking to run the ball but Watts is a physical DB when called upon.

Texas will have injury problems with Oklahoma ahead

While the instant reaction to Sanders and Watts being out might be how they respond vs. Kansas, there are long-term questions as well. Texas has an important game coming up next week, meeting Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout in Dallas. It’s a matchup everyone circles at the beginning of the year, especially with the two teams are positioned in the polls.

Sanders knows a thing or two about performing well at the Cotton Bowl. In a game Texas won 49-0, the tight end was one of Ewers’ favorite targets throughout. He caught five passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. With his health pending, the Longhorns are hoping for a similar type of impact in the 2023 edition.