Position Preview: Will The Texas Offensive Line Improve?
The Longhorns’ offensive line was arguably at its weakest during the 2019-2020 season—quarterback Sam Ehlinger was sacked over 20 times.
However, there was a major roster change going into the Kansas State game. NFL draft prospect Samuel Cosmi opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. This left a vacancy at the left tackle position. Highly coveted true freshman tackle Andrej Karic filled the void.
In that game, the Texas offensive line was off to a hot start and looking better than it had all year in pass protection and run blocking. Senior captain Derek Kerstetter went down with an ankle injury and true freshman center Jake Majors stepped up in his place. For the first time all season, the Texas offensive line was a bright spot for the team and allowed for true freshman RB Bijan Robinson to have a breakout game.
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Heading into the Alamo Bowl, the veteran Cosmi, Kerstetter, and Denzel Okafor were ruled out due to covid protocols. The young players, including sophomore guard Tyler Johnson, filled in and allowed the offensive line to look more disciplined than it ever had.
With Cosmi off to the NFL, there will be some changes on the offensive line, but with the younger players who proved themselves late in the season, the future of the offensive line in 2021 is bright.
New Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has also helped by recently hiring Alabama offensive line coach Kyle Flood to be the Longhorns’ offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
Alabama’s 2020 offensive line won the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the top offensive line in the country.
Projected offensive line:
Left tackle - Andrej Karic
Left guard - Junior Anguai
Center - Jake Majors
Right guard - Denzel Okafor
Right tackle - Derrick Kerstetter
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