Baylor Bears

Swoopes will start against Baylor as Texas limps into finale

Published Nov. 30, 2015 4:11 p.m. ET

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Texas quarterback Jerrod Heard has been cleared to practice, but according to coach Charlie Strong, the redshirt freshman will not start Saturday's regular-season finale at Baylor.

Junior Tyrone Swoopes will make his first start since the Week 1 loss at Notre Dame that cost him his starting job. Heard suffered a concussion during the Thanksgiving loss to Texas Tech and he might not play at all against Baylor.

"The thing about Jerrod, he’s such a competitor," Strong told reporters Monday during his weekly press conference. "I know he’s got a concussion — I don’t know how serious, but it was a concussion. We may not need him; if Swoopes plays well, maybe not."

Swoopes will be joined in the backfield by freshman running back Chris Warren, who set a Texas freshman record last week with 276 rushing yards against Tech. Senior Johnathan Gray and sophomore D'Onta Foreman continue to nurse injuries. Gray is day-to-day, and is likely to play, while Foreman will not play after having finger surgery two weeks ago.

If Texas is to get a fifth win, it will have to do it by plugging plenty of other injury holes. Also out are backup running back Kirk Johnson, right guard Patrick Vahe and linebacker Peter Jinkens. Linebacker Malik Jefferson and defensive lineman Hassan Ridgeway are questionable.

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