What the Latest Injury Report Means for Red River Rivalry

The 2025 edition of the Red River Rivalry is upon us, with the Texas Longhorns taking on the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday afternoon.

For the third time in the most recent six matchups, there will be an unranked team participating in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. In 2020, it was Oklahoma. In 2022, it was both sides. In 2025, it is now the Texas Longhorns. Texas is unranked for the first time since 2022, now looking to pull off a ranked upset against the No. 6 Sooners.

As we move closer to kickoff, clarity has begun to emerge in regards to the status of players who have been dealing with injuries. Thursday's injury report, via the Southeastern Conference, has contributed to that. Here are four key players within that injury report:

CB Malik Muhammad (probable)

Texas now officially seems on track to get its No. 1 cornerback back for the Oklahoma game after the secondary put together a rough showing in Gainesville. The Longhorns gave up 298 yards and two touchdowns to Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who accumulated his largest passing total of his first five games against Texas.

111 of those yards and both touchdowns went to freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson. Wilson outmatched practically any Texas defensive back that was covering him and eventually secured the victory for Florida on a 55-yard catch and run score near the end of the third quarter.

Muhammad's return in the Red River Rivalry will be important for the Longhorns as they look to limit an Oklahoma pass-catching corps that has three players with 20 or more receptions.

WR Parker Livingstone (probable)

Livingstone, a vital contributor on the other side of the ball, is expected to suit up as well.

The redshirt freshman wide receiver sustained a leg injury on a 33-yard catch in the second quarter, briefly re-entering the game later on before being pulled for the remainder of the contest.

Through five games, Livingstone leads the Longhorns in receiving yards and yards per catch. With his status looking good ahead of gameday, Texas seems ready to have a healthy wide receiver room -- featuring Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore Jr., Emmett Mosley IV and Livingstone -- to surround quarterback Arch Manning against the impressive Oklahoma defense.

RB CJ Baxter (doubtful)

In the backfield, however, the Longhorns are expected to be without running back Baxter for the third consecutive game after he got hurt on the opening play against the UTEP Miners.

Without Baxter, Texas will look to lean heavily on Quintrevion Wisner in the run game and the trio of Christian Clark, Jerrick Gibson and James Simon as support. Outside of Manning, the Longhorns gathered just 15 rushing yards across 11 attempts versus Florida. Texas struggled to match the physicality of the Gators up front, which translated into an inability to move the ball on the ground.

A much-improved rush attack is required to beat the Sooners on Saturday. The absence of Baxter will hurt, but the Longhorns have shown glimpses with Wisner and their backfield depth this season.

QB John Mateer (probable)

Here's the big one on the Oklahoma side.

Mateer has been upgraded to probable for the Sooners as the hours inch closer to kickoff. Rumors have been swirling all week about Mateer's status for the Red River Rivalry, with him now two weeks out from undergoing surgery for a broken bone in his throwing hand. He is now on track to be available against Texas.

In four games before missing time, Mateer had tallied 1,215 passing touchdowns and 11 total touchdowns (six throwing, five running), leading the Sooners into the top 10 of the AP Poll behind wins against Michigan and Auburn. Mateer's dual-threat abilities pose a massive challenge for the Texas defense.

If Mateer is ultimately unable to go, it will be Michael Hawkins Jr. -- who started for the Sooners against the Longhorns last year -- under center. Hawkins threw for 162 yards and three touchdowns, also adding 33 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, against Kent State last weekend.