Texas didn’t have much time to panic when Trevor Goosby went down with a left knee injury. The good news for the Longhorns is that the issue was ruled a bone bruise and nothing major. The next question was simpler: who handles the spot at left tackle while Goosby is out?
For now, that answer is Andre Cojoe.
The senior offensive lineman has taken the first-team reps at left tackle since Goosby was sidelined last Monday, and early returns have been strong enough that Steve Sarkisian sounds locked in on keeping him there. Cojoe has gotten a few practices and the second scrimmage of Fall Camp under his belt, and the staff has liked what it has seen.
On Monday, Sarkisian made it clear that the plan is not to shuffle Cojoe away from tackle just to patch another spot on the line.
"We need him to be a really good left tackle right now," Sarkisian said. "We'll be fine at guard, I think, obviously in the situation that we're in right now; these are valuable reps, which we touched on... I hope he doesn't ever have to go in a dire situation, but I hope he gets quality reps this season."
That stance may make some Texas fans uneasy, especially with the memory of last season’s issues at left guard still fresh. But the Longhorns do have options there, with Laurence Seymore, Dylan Sikorski, and a returning Cole Hutson all in the mix for the job.
Sarkisian also stressed why keeping Cojoe at tackle matters beyond just the current injury to Goosby. He pointed to the importance of building a dependable third tackle, using Goosby’s role in the back half of the 2024 season as the example.
"The value of having a third tackle is so important," Sarkisian said. "You know, I think back to that '24 season. If we don't have Trevor Goosby, I don't know if we could play against the likes of A&M, Georgia, Arizona State, Clemson with a backup tackle for the most part of those games, and so we've got to get him ready to do that, and we'll be fine with that."
That depth could matter a lot over the course of a long season. Texas is carrying national championship expectations, and a nine-game SEC schedule won’t do the offensive line any favors. Injuries are inevitable over that kind of grind, whether it’s Goosby again or right tackle Melvin Siani.
So while the Longhorns wait for Goosby to return, Cojoe is in position to give them exactly what they need: a steady tackle who can keep the offense moving without forcing another lineup change.
In Other News...
Texas Has A Real Stake In The SECs New Eligibility Fight
The SECs new eligibility guidelines have given Texas another thing to monitor as the conference sorts through what counts as an amateur, what counts as a pro, and who gets to stay on a roster while those lines are being tested. The policy bars athletes who have declared for professional drafts without properly withdrawing, or who have signed professional contracts, from being on SEC team rosters, and it arrives with enough uncertainty that it could ripple beyond one school or one player.
For Texas, the issue has a direct edge because the Longhorns have their own roster questions to weigh as the league works through the fallout. Steve Sarkisian addressed the situation as it develops, while Cole Hutsons eligibility status has also come into the conversation, underscoring how quickly a conference rule can become a week-to-week concern for a team trying to settle its lineup. The next step may come in court, which is where this sort of fight often gets decided. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have Found Its New Starting Linebacker Duo
Justin Cryer has spent spring football adjusting to a new system and a new opportunity, and both have come at the right time for Texas. The Florida State transfer is settling into Will Muschamps defensive scheme while carving out a role next to Rasheem Biles, giving the Longhorns a clearer look at a linebacker pairing that could matter this fall. With TyAnthony Smith out after shoulder surgery, the door opened for Cryer to make the most of his final college season.
What has stood out is how quickly Cryer and Biles have built chemistry while learning the defense side by side. That kind of partnership can be hard to manufacture in a short window, especially with a new coordinator installing his approach, but Texas appears to be getting early signs that the middle of its defense may already be taking shape. The next question is whether that spring momentum carries over once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Finally Have Clarity On Cole Hutson's Eligibility
Cole Hutsons path back to Texas has been unusually complicated, but it now has a clearer ending. The offensive lineman was granted an additional season of eligibility after suing the NCAA and getting a temporary restraining order, a move that kept his college football future alive after he had already spent time around the professional game with rookie minicamps for the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
For Texas, the key point is simple: Hutson did not sign a pro contract, which matters under the SECs new policy barring players who have signed professional deals from returning to college sports. Arch Manning said he was surprised by the situation but welcomed Hutson back, and for a Longhorns team always looking to stabilize the line, having one more available body with this kind of backstory is a welcome development. [Read more 🡒]