Texas Longhorns Hit With Brutal Injury News for Arkansas Game, Per Report

The Texas Longhorns are reportedly set to be without the leader of their defense for Saturday's home game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Per reports from Inside Texas, Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. will miss the matchup against Arkansas after suffering an injury in the 35-10 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Horns247 reported that Hill Jr. suffered a broken bone in his hand, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian didn't specify what kind of injury he was dealing with while meeting with the media on Monday.

Steve Sarkisian Said He Was "Optimistic" About Anthony Hill Jr. Playing

Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is assisted on the field during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It's unclear when exactly Hill Jr. suffered the injury. He remained down on the field after making a hard tackle with about 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter and Texas trailing 21-10.

He returned to the game on Georgia's next possession but Sarkisian didn't gave an injury update on him after the game.

"With both Ant and Ryan (Wingo), we're just we're making sure that they're going to be okay," Sarkisian said Monday. "I'm not ready to make that diagnosis on where they're going to be yet, but I feel optimistic."

Hill Jr. was one of Texas' standout players in the loss to Georgia, finishing the game with six total tackles, half a tackle for loss and an interception. He was the reason Texas was able to find momentum in the second half after picking off Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton while trailing 14-3 in the third quarter.

This takeaway led to the only touchdown of the game for Texas, as Arch Manning found Ryan Wingo for a seven-yard score to cut the lead to 14-10.

However, this was the last gasp the Longhorns had, as Georgia took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered.

Anthony Hill Jr.'s Impact

It's obvious Hill Jr.'s absence is significant for Texas. This season, he's posted 70 total tackles (38 solo), four sacks, three forced fumbles, one pass breakup and two interceptions.

That said, the Longhorns still have some talented linebackers on the defense. Liona Lefau and Ty'Anthony Smith have continued to prove themselves since last season. In the loss to Georgia, Smith led the team in total tackles (nine) while adding a sack, his second of the year.

It remains to be seen if Hill Jr. will be ruled out on the first SEC availability report of the week Wednesday evening.