Kelvin Banks injury update: ESPN broadcast reveals more info behind Texas LT sitting out

Texas is without star left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in the SEC Championship Game vs. Georgia. Banks was questionable all week and deemed a game time decision going into Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before kickoff, ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge shared that Banks had attempted to warm up with a brace on his left leg and ankle, but couldn’t make it happen. In his steady, backup Trevor Goosby started.

“They are without left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. He tried to give it a go in warm ups, couldn’t make it happen, so that means the redshirt freshman Trevor Goosby gets the start at tackle,” Rutledge said.

Banks had been ruled out shortly before kickoff. He injured his ankle against Texas A&M in the first half of the season finale, and Goosby played well in stead.

Texas is trying to bounce back in a rematch vs. Georgia

Back on Oct. 19, the Georgia Bulldogs waltzed into Austin and defeated the Texas Longhorns by 15 points.

It was a “Welcome to the SEC” moment for Steve Sarkisian’s team. While they defeated everyone else on their schedule, Kirby Smart’s squad got the best of them. However, they knew if they stayed the course, kept their focus and won the rest of their games, there was a chance at redemption for Texas.

On Saturday, opportunity knocks on an even grander stage, at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Ahead of what could be a landmark night for Texas, Sarkisian explained how the Longhorns were able to recover from their loss to the Bulldogs and keep the faith, giving themselves a chance at glory.

“Just that. We talked about that exact way. We’re not going to allow that to happen. We are going to get refocused. Our sole focus is on the next opponent and our sole focus is on what do we need to do to improve,” Sarkisian said, regarding how Texas was able to compartmentalize their loss to Georgia and not let one loss beat them twice in a season. “I really just leave it at that. I don’t speak negatively. I say, ‘This isn’t going to happen, this is what’s going to happen. Here is how we’re going to go about our business.’

“The good thing this year is we were able to lean on the experience from last year because a similar thing happened last year, losing to OU, especially in the fashion that that game went. Our ability to rebound last year, then go run the table in the conference to get back in the championship game, I think it gave a lot of the veteran players confidence that we could do it again, to follow the formula for success to make that happen.”