Countdown to College Football Kickoff: Top NFL prospects at Texas
College football is scheduled to return Saturday, August 29. Each day until then, NFLDraftScout.com will be evaluating the rosters of the best teams in college football, including all 64 within the Power Five conferences.
Texas Longhorns
Head Coach: Tom Herman (fourth season)
2019 Record: 8-5
2020 NFL Draft Picks: Brandon Jones, S, Miami Dolphins – 3rd Round, No. 70 overall
Devin Duvernay, WR, Baltimore Ravens – 3rd Round, No. 92 overall
Collin Johnson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars – 5th Round, No. 165 overall
Overview: After finishing the 2018 season ranked ninth in the country as Sugar Bowl champions with double-digit wins for the first time since Mack Brown guided the team to the BCS title game in 2009, the Longhorns took a step back last year, falling to a still-respectable 8-5.
The expectations at Texas are, of course, incredibly high with few likely to be satisfied with the team barely cracking the Top 25 in the post-season AP poll, even if the Longhorns are now a perfect 3-0 in bowl games since Tom Herman took over.
Texas thumped Louisiana Tech to start the season and gave eventual national champion LSU quite a battle in Week Two. The Longhorns wound up losing to Joe Burrow and the Tigers but kept things close, eventually losing 45-38. The only two other teams to finish within one score of LSU last year were Auburn and Alabama, which fell to the Tigers 23-20 and 46-41 at the midway point of the season.
While the compelling game against the nation’s best team last year showed that Texas is making big strides under Herman in some respects, road losses at TCU, Iowa State and Baylor last year are concerning.
Gutty senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger returns, as does a bevy of even more intriguing NFL prospects among Texas’ underclassmen. If things fall right, the 2021 draft could be loaded with Longhorns, as this is Herman's most gifted squad.
Featured 2021 NFL Draft Prospect: Samuel Cosmi, OT, 6-5, 295, 4.90, rJR
As one of the more iconic programs in the entire country, the Longhorns routinely land top recruits. That was not the case with Cosmi, however, as he signed with relatively little fanfare after most recruiting experts ranked him outside of the top 100 prep tackles in 2017.
As such, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when Cosmi redshirted his first year on campus. He turned heads at right tackle during camp the next year, however, debuting there in Texas’ 2018 season-opening win against Maryland and starting the rest of year at that position. His surprisingly steady play earned Cosmi all kinds of attention, including Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (a rarity for a blocker), as well as Freshman All-American honors by some outlets.
Cosmi switched to the all-important left tackle spot in 2019 and immediately excelled, starting all 13 games for a unit which was made the Joe Moore midseason Honor Roll as one of the nation’s best offensive lines and earning more individual attention, as well, including Second Team All-Big-12 accolades, as well as Honorable Mention as the conference’s top blocker. To put that acknowledgement into perspective, last year’s honorees were Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey (NFLDraftScout’s top-rated prospect at this position) and West Virginia’s Colton McKivitz, now a member of the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
Cosmi enters his redshirt junior season with 26 starts already under his belt, already ranking among the better offensive line prospects for the 2021 NFL draft. He will need to be even better this year to keep his position as Texas’ top NFL prospect as fellow juniors Caden Sterns and Joseph Ossai look like potential top 50 candidates, as well.
Strengths: Possesses legitimate left tackle feet, easing out of his stance with quick, light steps. Good patience and understanding of the arc in pass protection, waiting for defenders to come to him. Plays on the balls of his feet with his knees bent, effortlessly sliding left and right to mirror as needed. Strong hands and at least adequate arm length to latch on and control opponents, maintaining his balance with excellent coordination between his upper and lower halves.
Experience shows with his savvy hand play and recognition of late twists and stunts. Switches off quickly, getting solid punches in on multiple defenders when overloaded. Isn’t the biggest blocker but shows excellent grip strength to snatch and sustain and looks to pancake defenders to send a message when he can.
Shows a secondary burst to recover if beaten initially, gaining ground with big strides in his kick-slide when he needs. Recognizes that by extending his gait, he’s vulnerable to bull rushes, taking care to keep his pad level down and showing good core flexibility and strength to anchor. Cosmi’s initial quickness also makes him quite effective as a run blocker. He is able to make difficult down blocks on defensive tackles look easy and is a quality cut blocker, surprising opponents with clean, effective takedowns.
Quick to the second level, showing agility when adjusting to moving targets and keeping his feet through the trash. While not a true mauler, Cosmi’s accurate hand placement, leg drive and good old-fashioned determination show up when he needs to move people in the running game, generating good push. Entering his third season as a starter with a full year operating at right (2018) and left tackle (2019)… Soft hands, providing his team with trick play options.
Weaknesses: Looks smaller than his listed size, appearing more like a tight end than a tackle by today’s massive standards. Has to maintain his balance, lacking the girth to anchor if opponents are able to land their punch and get him backpedaling.
A bit too quick for his own good, at times, zipping up to the second level as a run blocker, only to watch linebackers fly by him. Needs to show greater anticipation in this regard, too often getting caught off-balance with late adjustments.
NFL Player Comparison: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers – Like the 6-4, 310 pound Bakhtiari, Cosmi is a little smaller than some of today’s massive blockers but his quickness, agility, technique and temperament are certainly NFL caliber. The Packers found Aaron Rodgers’ blindside blocker in the fourth round of the 2013 draft and Cosmi, too, could slip further than his reliable play warrants due to size concerns. He projects as a starter early in his NFL career, however, fitting best at left tackle with enough power and initial quickness to potentially slide inside to left guard.
Current NFL Draft Projection: Second Round
The Top 10 NFL Prospects at Texas:
1. Samuel Cosmi, OT, 6-5, 295, 4.90, rJR
2. Caden Sterns, S, 6-0, 210, 4.50, JR
3. Joseph Ossai, OLB, 6-3, 245, 4.65, JR
4. Keaontay Ingram, RB, 5-11, 215, 4.45, JR
5. Sam Ehlinger, QB, 6-2, 235, 4.65, SR
6. Derek Kerstetter, OG, 6-5, 305, 5.20, SR
7. Ta'Quon Graham, DE, 6-2, 295, 4.95, SR
8. Tarik Black, WR, 6-2, 215, 4.50, SR – Graduate transfer from Michigan
9. B.J. Foster, S, 6-1, 210, 4.45, JR
10. Brennan Eagles, WR, 6-2, 225, 4.55, JR
*All 40-yard dash times are estimates
