Steve Sarkisian Only Needs One Thing From Offensive Tackle Andre Cojoe

The Texas Longhorns needed a quick answer after star left tackle Trevor Goosby went down with an injury to his left knee, which fortunately for the Longhorns was confirmed to be nothing major and just a bone bruise.

However, with Fall Camp still in full swing and getting down to the final weeks of preparation before the Longhorns begin the 2026 season, stepping into Goosby's spot to take the first-time reps at left tackle has been senior offensive lineman Andre Cojoe.

And so far, the performances from the veteran offensive lineman have been positive, so much so that Steve Sarkisian is adamant about not moving Cojoe away from the tackle position.

Andre Cojoe Won't Be Moved From Left Tackle... For Now

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Andre Cojoe (77) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns have had almost a week without Goosby in the lineup after suffering the injury last Monday, and since stepping into the role with a few practices under his belt and the second scrimmage of Fall Camp on Saturday, Cojoe has impressed.

And on Monday, Sarkisian talked about Cojoe continuing to improve at left tackle and not being weary about the left guard position, which still has some uncertainty surrounding it.

"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."

Sarkisian's confidence at the left guard position could put some Texas fans on edge after the weakness at the position a year ago. However, the Longhorns have more than enough talent at the position to find an answer with Laurence Seymore, Dylan Sikorski, and even a returning Cole Hutson all battling for the starting spot.

Sarkisian also added to the point of keeping Cojoe at left tackle, emphasizing the importance of having a reliable third tackle in case of an emergency, and used Goosby as an example when he came off the bench in the back half of the 2024 season.

"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."

The Longhorns will be hoping to play a very long season with national championship expectations, and obviously injuries can happen at any time, especially with a grueling nine-game SEC schedule.

A long season will undoubtedly take a toll on the Longhorns, and having an offensive tackle in case of another injury to Goosby or an injury to right tackle Melvin Siani will be crucial.

The Longhorns will need to have someone to step up and allow the Texas offense to continue running smoothly, and Cojoe is in a prime position to have that role heading into the 2026 season.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google