“This is hard tho”: CFB fans react as Texas’ Colton Vasek gets captured with a shoulder-arm immobilizer brace

In late January, Chip Brown of 247Sports reported that Colton Vasek would undergo shoulder surgery. The defensive end’s surgery was to repair his torn labrum in his shoulder as Texas makes preparations for the spring schedule.

The procedure was said to be successful and it isn't expected to be a long-term setback for Vasek. However, having missed his freshman season through a back injury and playing with a shoulder brace in 2024, there are concerns among fans about the fitness of the rising sophomore.

Colton Vasek appeared in public for the first time after the surgery on a night out with Texas teammates. The defensive end appeared in a shoulder-arm immobilizer, showcasing he’s still at the very early stage of his recovery process. This led to a reaction from college football fans.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions online:

Other reactions from fans:

"Pretty sure he had surgery to clean up his injury," a fan wrote.

"Probably just cleaning up an injury he played through!" another fan wrote.

"Tough" another fan commented.

"Kid been injured since Senior Year of high school ended," another fan commented.

Colton Vasek to have an increased role in 2025

Considering the current situation of Texas’ roster, Colton Vasek is expected to have an increased role in the 2025 college football season. The defensive end made his debut in 2024 in the season opener against Colorado State in Austin after redshirting his freshman year.

Vasek showcased his glimpses of brilliance in the first half of the season, registering sacks against UTSA and Mississippi State. However, his performance in the other half of the season was hampered by shoulder and hip injuries, creating another setback after that of 2023.

Barring another injury setback, the 2025 season comes with a lot of hope for Vasek. Texas will not be having Barryn Sorrell in 2025 as he heads to the NFL. This means the Longhorns will have to turn to Vasek for steady contributions next season, pairing him with fellow Ethan Burke.

Last season, Colton Vasek saw action on special teams, logging 81 snaps across 10 games on the kickoff return, punt return, and punt coverage units, along with a single snap on the field-goal block team. The defensive end had a further 65 snaps on the defense over seven games.