The status of two prominent football players remains uncertain heading into this weekend’s match-up against the University of Texas Longhorns.Senior defensive end Tommy Blake and junior running back Aaron Brown have arguably been the center of attention since the conclusion of the Frogs’ 27-0 win against Baylor on Saturday.

Blake, a preseason All-American who has been named to numerous award watch lists, was a late scratch from the Baylor game after he was scheduled to play somewhere between 10 to 15 downs, head coach Gary Patterson said.

The team was greeted with good news, however, when Blake returned to Sunday’s practice. Patterson said Blake needs to be cleared by doctors before he will play the Aransas Pass native against the No. 4 Longhorns.

Brown’s status, on the other hand, remains more of a question. A late first quarter leg injury sidelined Brown for the rest of the game.

Patterson said Brown would have an MRI and that his status is hovering between “doubtful to probable.”

If Brown is not available for this weekend’s game, then it is expected the Frogs would handle the rushing responsibilities with a committee of backs – specifically junior Justin Watts and sophomores Joseph Turner and Ryan Christian.

While Patterson said he would like to have Brown on the field for the Texas game, he put more emphasis on the starting running back’s availability for the Sept. 13 game against Air Force – the conference opener that falls just five days after the showdown with Texas.

“The biggest thing for us is we need to have him back for Air Force,” Patterson said. “That’s the game … that’s the one I have to have him back for cause that’s the first conference game.