Trevor Goosby’s latest honor says as much about his story as it does about his play.
Texas’ senior offensive lineman is this week’s nominee for the 2026 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, the Football Writers Association of America announced Wednesday. It comes just days after Goosby was also named the Outland Trophy’s National Player of the Week and the SEC’s Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The recognition fits a player whose path has already included open-heart surgery as a teenager and multiple other injuries. Goosby, a fourth-year left tackle, was diagnosed after doctors spotted a heart murmur during a physical for athletes who had previously had COVID-19.
Further testing revealed Atrium Septal Defect, a birth condition that creates a hole between the heart’s upper chambers. Before that, the only sign had been fatigue during basketball games.
Goosby has also used his platform to shine a light on congenital heart defects. At SEC Media Days in Tampa, Fla., this summer, he wore a pin lapel that said "Every 15 minutes," drawing attention to the fact that a child is born with a heart condition every 15 minutes in America. In July 2026, he held a camp that benefitted The Children's Heart Foundation, and he personally matched donations made to the organization through the campaign.
On the field, Goosby was central to Texas’ wild comeback against Ohio State on Sept. 12.
The Longhorns erased a 23-3 deficit and beat No. 1/1 Ohio State 24-23 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, pulling off their first 20-plus-point fourth-quarter comeback against a No. 1 team in 22 years.
It was the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback and the fourth-largest overall comeback in program history.
Texas improved to 2-0 and extended its home winning streak to 11 straight, including a fourth consecutive home win over a ranked opponent, which leads the nation.
Goosby graded as the top offensive lineman in the game, did not allow a sack and gave up just one pressure on 46 pass blocks. Texas finished with three straight touchdown drives to close the game, and Goosby’s work was especially important in the fourth quarter. Each of those drives took at least 12 plays and covered at least 72 yards, with the first two lasting 15 and 13 plays and featuring key fourth-down conversions in Texas territory.
In the fourth quarter, Goosby and the line helped Texas pile up 150 yards of offense, including 83 passing yards and 67 rushing yards, while outgaining Ohio State 150-52. Counting the final drive of the third quarter, the Longhorns put together 236 total yards over the final 21 minutes. Texas became the only team in the past 15 years to finish a win with three straight touchdown drives of 12 or more plays.
The comeback also checked in as the third-largest win by any FBS team over an AP No. 1 team this century, and Texas became the first non-conference opponent this century to score at least 21 points in the fourth quarter against Ohio State.
The Courage Award, first handed out by the FWAA in 2002, is decided by a vote from a select group of FWAA writers. Nominees are recognized for courage on or off the field, including overcoming injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship. The winner will be part of Capital One Orange Bowl week festivities and receive the trophy in an on-field presentation.
Texas returns to action at 7 p.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 19, against UTSA at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will stream on SEC Network+ with Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Austyn Iven on the call.
In Other News...
Texas Just Delivered The Kind Of Win That Changes Everything
A September showdown with Ohio State ended up looking like the kind of early-season measuring stick Texas has spent years chasing, and it came with a comeback that instantly put the Longhorns in the center of the national conversation. The victory also carried the sort of reach that only high-end marquee games can produce, with television numbers that reflected just how many people wanted to see these teams meet.
The backdrop matters because this was not just a one-off upset or a tidy nonconference win. Several college football and program records fell along the way, giving Texas a result that resonated well beyond the final score and hinted at how quickly the mood around the season can change when a game of this size breaks the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Traylor Keeps Producing Talent Texas Fans Know All Too Well
Jeff Traylor has built UTSA into one of the Group of Sixs more reliable talent factories, and that reputation keeps resonating far beyond San Antonio. The Roadrunners have watched plenty of players move on through the transfer portal to Power Four programs, a sign that Traylor and his staff have become adept at spotting and developing prospects before bigger schools come calling.
Trey Moore is one of the clearest examples of that pipeline at work. He arrived at UTSA as an unheralded prospect, grew into a productive player under Traylor, and then kept climbing from there, eventually landing at Texas before continuing his rise to the next level. For Longhorn fans, it is another reminder that Traylor has a knack for identifying talent that can travel well once it leaves his program. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Is Chasing College Footballs Elite With A Price Tag Few Can Match
College footballs financial arms race keeps getting louder, and a new Athletic report on roster spending puts the sports biggest players into sharper focus. The survey identifies 11 programs spending around $40 million or more annually, with Ohio State out front and Oregon close behind, while Texas and LSU sit in that same upper tier of heavy investment. Even in a landscape where some lower-profile programs are working with far smaller budgets, the gap at the top keeps widening.
For Texas, the takeaway is less about a surprise than a reminder of where the Longhorns now live in the sport. The report places them among the teams operating at or near the top of the spending board, in the same conversation as the Buckeyes and Ducks, which helps explain why the stakes around roster building have become so high. The broader question, though, is whether that level of spending can translate into the kind of playoff consistency the biggest checkbooks are clearly chasing. [Read more 🡒]