No. 5 seed Texas will take on No. 12 seed Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday in Austin, but the Longhorns will be without a key offensive player.
Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond was reportedly a game-time decision after suffering a high ankle sprain in the Longhorns’ SEC title game loss to Georgia. Bond had a limited week going into the first-round playoff game against the Tigers, and he was in street clothes during warmups Saturday and will not play, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.
During the pregame broadcast, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge also confirmed Texas will play without Bond.
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On ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday, Thamel also said, via On3:
“One big potential loss today for Texas is wide receiver Isaiah Bond. …He’s obviously their starting slot, a projected first-round pick. He’s unlikely to play and he certainly isn’t going to contribute significantly.”
A transfer this season from Alabama, Bond’s injury is a notable loss for Texas. One of the Longhorns’ top receivers, he’s racked up 532 yards on 33 catches for five touchdowns this season, along with 98 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
