Texas Longhorns junior safety Jelani McDonald is in concussion protocol after leaving Saturday’s win over the Vanderbilt Commodores after 11 plays, head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday.
Jelani is in
protocol and just like last week, it’s really out of my hands at that point. I’m glad we don’t play Saturday,“ Sarkisian said, referencing quarterback Arch Manning’s concussion sustained against Mississippi State.
And although Manning was able to return a week after his concussion, the Texas head coach noted that the medical staff takes a different approach with a defensive player.
“Little different protocol for a safety than it is for a quarterback of getting cleared to play, and so the fact that we feel confident as long as he stays the course of where he’s at this morning from where he was Saturday, all signs are good there,” Sarkisian said.
Without McDonald and redshirt senior safety Michael Taaffe, who is out with a thumb injury, Texas missed its starters in the fourth quarter when the Commodores scored 21 points to turn a comfortable win into an uncomfortable with the help of 205 passing yards and two passing touchdowns over the final 15 minutes, including a 67-yard touchdown pass.
But the expectation is that both players will be available when Texas travels to Athens to face No. 5 Georgia after the bye week.
