Texas secured a 34-27 victory over Ole Miss, but the fallout on the offensive line leaves a massive hole upfront.
Starting left tackle Trevor Goosby limped off in the first quarter, clutching his knee during a pass-blocking rep before riding a cart to the locker room. He returned to the bench in street clothes with crutches, putting backup Andre Cojoe on the blind side for the rest of the day.
Steve Sarkisian admitted after the game that things looked rough, and reports now confirm Goosby faces a season-ending injury that wipes out the rest of his year.
Texas’ Trevor Goosby Out for the Season
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Goosby is out for the season.
“Texas star left tackle Trevor Goosby will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury against Ole Miss on Saturday,” Thamel wrote. “Goosby is the country’s top NFL prospect at left tackle, as ESPN’s Field Yates ranked him the No. 8 pick in his most recent mock draft.”
Field Yates locked in Goosby at No. 8 overall to the Houston Texans in his early mock draft, slotting him as a premier blindside protector to lock down C.J. Stroud’s left side.
Although Cojoe came in relief for Texas following Goosby’s injury and struggled in pass protection, including losing a one-on-one matchup that resulted in the strip-sack touchdown to open up the comeback. Texas will either need the career backup to level up quickly or find other answers in Kyle Flood’s group.
It’s even worse for QB Arch Manning, because Goosby’s absence hits him right where it hurts most: on his blindside. As the veteran leader up front, Goosby spent the last two seasons shutting down edge rushers, backing up last year’s breakout performance by dominating defenders week in and week out this fall.
Production was already tough to come by for Manning, and navigating the pocket without Goosby creates a whole new hurdle. Sarkisian put his young quarterback on notice after calling him out for playing “edgy” and benching him the previous week, making the Ole Miss game a mandatory bounce-back spot.
Arch Manning Replies to Steve Sarkisian’s Edgy Comment
“I was edgy? I don’t know what that means,” Manning said. “But yeah, I think I had a chip on my shoulder all week, and I’ve got to continue to play like that.”
Manning answered by acknowledging he played with an extra edge to counter the outside noise. He owned up to leaving big plays on the field, but maintained that taking down Ole Miss showed he can deliver when critics write him off.
“There was a lot left on the table. I think I can get better, but playing with an edge,” Manning said. “You know? I’ve been hyped up all my life. Everyone tries to precede all this stuff, and I think I kind of like being, you know, disregarded and counted out.”
“It was a hard Sunday,” Manning added about the aftermath of last weekend’s loss to Florida and Saturday’s celebration with his family. “I went over to their place and damn near bawled crying to them. So just being able to see them after a win felt good.”
Texas OT Trevor Goosby Receives Brutal Injury to Threaten Top-10 NFL Draft Potential