Ty'Anthony Smith Leaves Texas Football Program

His unconfirmed exit removes a projected starter, forcing Texas to reshuffle linebacker depth before the Sept. 5 opener.

Overview

Multiple outlets reported Friday that junior linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith is no longer with the Texas program after missing recent practices for illness and what coach Steve Sarkisian called "personal matters."
Texas has not issued an official team confirmation and some reports note a small chance of return, but coverage described Smith as effectively out of the program as of the latest updates.
Smith rose from a special-teams role as a freshman to a key rotational linebacker in 2025, including a Citrus Bowl start and 60 tackles last season, making his loss a material hit to experience in the room.
The exit accelerates playing-time needs for recent transfers and younger players such as Rasheem Biles, Justin Cryer, Darius Snow, Tyler Atkinson, and Kosi Okpala and shifts immediate depth-chart planning for coordinator Will Muschamp.
Coaches now must finalise a linebacker rotation in weeks rather than months, which could push freshmen into early roles and change defensive substitution plans for the Sept. 5 season opener.