Texas Longhorns facing tough decisions on offensive line after Trevor Goosby leaves practice with apparent knee injury
The Texas Longhorns have an offensive line problem following the Trevor Goosby injury. What should HC Steve Sarkisian do now?
Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are potentially dealing with some tough news this week.
Yahoo Sports reporter and Orangebloods.com Texas football insider Anwar Richardson reported that All-American left tackle Trevor Goosby left practice on Monday with an apparent knee injury. Richardson followed up to say he does not know the severity of the injury at this time. Goosby is scheduled to undergo testing on Tuesday morning, which should provide more clarity on his status.
Richardson added on a live stream Tuesday that this was apparently a non-contact knee injury, which is typically bad news. Now, any rash judgments will be held until a diagnosis is fully known, transparent, and a timeline is better understood.
However, if this is the worst possible outcome, the Texas Longhorns will have to make some difficult decisions on their offensive line, a position that was a main point of emphasis this offseason.
Luckily for Sarkisian and company, this is a unit that does have some options up front. Replacing Goosby at the college level is an extremely difficult task, but Texas has enough pieces to fill those holes and at least apply a Band-Aid for now.
What the offensive line could look like without Goosby
The easy replacement for Goosby would be starting right tackle Melvin Siani.
Siani is slated to start at right tackle for the Longhorns after transferring over from Wake Forest this offseason. He’s a long and athletic tackle who certainly has the ability to play the blind side, which he previously did with the Demon Deacons. That position is vital to protect star quarterback Arch Manning, so Siana feels like the natural player to flip over to the left side.
If that were to happen, it would leave a significant hole at right tackle.
Fortunately for Texas, starting right guard Brandon Baker was the team’s starting right tackle a year ago. While his skill set might fit better on the inside, he is at least a passable starter on the outside at right tackle. Some shifting could happen if Siani moves back to his more natural left tackle position, with Baker flexing outside.
If Texas wants to keep Baker inside, redshirt junior Andre Cojoe is worth keeping a close eye on.
Interior depth provides a safety net
The Longhorns have Laurence Seymour slated to start at left guard, as well as redshirt senior Connor Robertson holding down the center position. Texas got a nice depth boost recently when Cole Hutson, the team’s previous starting center, was granted an extra year of eligibility despite participating in minicamp with the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Hutson could, in this hypothetical world, flex in to right guard so Robertson doesn’t have to move out of the spot he’s been occupying all offseason.
There is also the option at right guard to compete with Hudson. Dylan Sikorski, who transferred over from Oregon State this offseason, has been battling with Seymour for the left guard spot and cross-training at all three interior positions. Sikorski should at least get a look and at worst provide much-needed depth on the interior.
That’s probably the most ideal offensive line formation Texas can put together if the worst is proven true about Goosby’s health. Losing an All-American left tackle would test even the deepest offensive line room in college football, but the Longhorns have enough pieces up front to remain competitive while they wait for answers.
