Michael Taaffe To Miss Mississippi State, Vanderbilt

Texas safety Michael Taaffe underwent thumb surgery after injuring his thumb late in the Longhorns’ 16-13 overtime win at Kentucky. He is expected to miss multiple upcoming games — he will not play Saturday at Mississippi State or Nov. 1 vs. Vanderbilt — and is tentatively expected to return around Nov. 15 at Georgia, though no official timetable has been confirmed. Taaffe leads the team with 51 tackles (28 solo) and has one interception and one sack, and he made a key fourth-and-goal stop in overtime at Kentucky. Coaches called his absence a significant loss for an otherwise elite Texas defense, which will rely on backups like Derek Williams Jr. and increased roles for Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime. The injury increases pressure on the 5-2 Longhorns as offensive struggles continue and the team heads into a pivotal SEC stretch that will shape its College Football Playoff hopes.