Even though no one is saying it, but Steve Sarkisian could be on a hot seat. If Arch Manning’s college career turns out to be a bust, fingers will directly point towards the head coach. Sark knows this and has desperately tried to create a moat of protection around his star quarterback to protect him. Unfortunately, one of those protection pieces has just gone down.

The Longhorns’ junior offensive lineman Trevor Goosby had entered the fall camp fully healthy. But after Monday’s practice the script flipped as the left tackle suffered a non-contact knee injury. He already underwent an MRI the next day to check the severity of it, and the result has simply added more fuel to the fire.

Goosby has been diagnosed with a bone bruise, as reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on August 18. His comeback timeline is hanging by a thread right now. That raises eyebrows, as Texas is just a few weeks away from kicking off the season opener against Texas State.

Goosby’s return to Austin this season, even though he would be a first-round pick in the 2026 draft, was a big achievement for Texas. But that win did not last long for the Longhorns.

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In 2025, poor offensive line play hindered Manning’s first year as a starter. But Goosby was a shining light in that darkness. He earned first-team All-SEC honors, starting 13 games at left tackle and recording an 80.1 pass-blocking grade via PFF. This season, he was expected to continue protecting the QB’s blindside, but he is almost certainly going to be absent in the opening games.

That doubles down on Texas’s concern ahead of taking a single snap in 2026. He has all the tools to take a leadership role after giving back-to-back elite performances in the last two years. But now, if he is absent when Texas plays their most important regular season game of 2026 against Ohio State, that could be a big gamble.

Though Arch Manning has the offensive line depth in players like Connor Robertson, Melvin Siani, Laurence Seymore, and Cole Hutson, among others, getting a replacement for the junior left tackle in this short span could really be difficult for the Longhorns.

Trevor Goosby started 15 games throughout his Texas career while appearing in 30. Now his absence not only shakes up an already overhauled offensive line following last season’s underperformance but also creates a big hole considering his frame and experience, as well as giving the QB passing confidence.

But if his recovery takes long, Texas could lean on the transfer OL Melvin Siani from Wake Forest to take the role of Goosby. Last season, for the Deacons, Siani started 13 games, and his pass-blocking grade per PFF was more than Goosby’s. In fact, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has confidence in him.

“I think we have a really good understanding of who Melvin Siani is right now. This guy’s a tough ass,” he said of the transfer OL. “I’ll be quite frank with everybody. I thought I was getting (mostly) a pass protector when we recruited him.”

Besides Siani, Sarkisian has options in sophomore lineman Jordan Coleman, then veteran OL Andre Cojoe. But will they be able to adjust in the short span and perform like Goosby until his return? That’s a big question for the team that is in revenge mode after getting a CFP snub last year despite having talent.

Let’s see, Arch Manning gets his much-needed support from whom in 2026 until Goosby recovers and returns to the field.