The Texas Longhorns were coming off a loss to their rival Oklahoma Sooners entering Saturday’s matchup with the Florida Gators.

Back home in Austin, Texas looked to get back on track and secure an SEC win.

However, things didn’t go as planned. Despite jumping out to a 17-3 lead, Texas squandered the advantage and ultimately lost 27-24, continuing its offensive struggles behind quarterback Arch Manning.

On Sunday, the Longhorns fell from No. 7 to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 rankings. Just two weeks ago, they held the No. 1 spot in the nation.

Texas Dealt More Bad News

After a weekend to forget in Austin, Texas received concerning news about its top defensive player, Colin Simmons, who left Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.

According to Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com, Simmons fortunately has no structural damage, a major positive for a player expected to be a top NFL Draft pick. However, Texas will be without him for several weeks, and the team’s schedule doesn’t get any easier.

Simmons will likely miss three to four weeks with a high ankle sprain, but Texas still hopes to get him back on the field this season. If the Longhorns fall out of contention, the team could reconsider whether to bring him back.

Running back Hollywood Smothers is also reportedly dealing with an undisclosed injury, leaving his status for Saturday’s major home game against No. 7 Ole Miss in question.

I was told that Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons is expected to miss three to four weeks with a high ankle sprain. Simmons underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed no structural damage. The goal is to get him healthy and back on the field as soon as possible.

In addition, I was told that running back Hollywood Smothers is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and his status for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss is questionable.
https://t.co/s2ZhKHJTKj

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) October 19, 2026

Manning’s Starting Job in Doubt

More major news for Texas broke Monday morning, as the Longhorns reportedly plan to give backup quarterback KJ Lacey more first-team reps in practice this week.

Manning should start Saturday, but if he continues to struggle, Texas could seriously consider replacing him.

Via ESPN’s Pete Thamel: “Texas is expected to give an uptick in first-team quarterback reps to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. this week in practice. Arch Manning still projects as the Texas starter. The uptick in Lacey’s reps is a signal that Texas could replace Manning if he continues to struggle.”