Steve Sarkisian reveals Savion Red will miss 'a couple of weeks' with sprained shoulder

Texas sophomore running back Savion Red has sprained his shoulder and will be out for a number of weeks, head coach Steve Sarkisian said, according to Inside Texas’ Joe Cook. There was no timetable offered for his return.

Red, who played in nine games as a freshman, was competing with an array of running backs on the Texas roster to replace Bijan Robinson. Red has also played wideout at Texas.

“He’ll be down here for a couple of weeks,” Sarkisian said.

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian says Savion Red has a sprained shoulder and that “he’ll be down here for a couple of weeks.” @InsideTexas

— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) August 11, 2023

In nine games as a true freshman, Red had six receptions for 34 yards.

Red is in the mix with Jonathan Brooks, Jaydon Blue and CJ Baxter to play a significant role at running back for the Longhorns.

It’s a different look for Texas without Robinson in the fold

Robinson was the straw that stirred the drink for Texas on offense the last three years. He was a key part of both the run and pass games as he became a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Now that he’s out of the picture, all eyes are on Quinn Ewers and the rest of the offense to deal with Robinson’s departure. It sounds like the Longhorns will air it out more, meaning Steve Sarkisian and Co. could come out with a new look.

Ewers discussed the importance of transforming the offense every year, which is why he thinks Texas will be able to deal with losing Robinson.

“It’s a good question,” Ewers said. “Offenses, they change every year. We lose guys, we gained guys. Bijan, he’s a generational talent. I’m so fired up to see what he does for the Falcons this year. We won’t have that guy in our backfield, but depth we have in that room is unreal. We’re going to have guys that are able to make some similar plays that he did last year and the years before. I’m excited.”

Even though Texas’ top two rushers — Robinson and Roschon Johnson — are both off to the NFL, the Longhorns have their top three receivers back. Xavier Worthy is the biggest name of the group after totaling a team-high 760 yards to go with nine touchdowns. Jordan Whittington and Ja’Tavion Sanders are also returning after totaling 652 and 613 receiving yards, respectively, in 2022.

With so much talent both coming back — and coming in — Ewers will have his options in the passing game. It’s a big reason why there’s so much optimism about the leap he could take this season as Texas was picked to win the Big 12.