The Texas Longhorns have suffered a big blow as they will be without one of their offensive options during their season opener against defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Texas OT Andre Cojoe, who was supposed to be competing for the starting right tackle spot and protect superstar quarterback Arch Manning, is now out with a knee injury.
Reports indicate that Cojoe may be out for the entire season after tearing his ACL during practice. This is a severe and painful injury that often places players on the shelf for months. It would be safe to say that he would not just miss the season opener, but also all the games after that this season.
Texas OT Andre Cojoe who was expected to compete for the starting RT spot is OUT for the season with a knee injury
Per: @ontexasfootball
Prayers for a speedy recovery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/SqkU7rmAaG
— Barstool Longhorn (@UTBarstool) August 4, 2025
Andre Cojoe was supposed to be competing against Baker for that starting right tackle spot, with both showing great potential during training camp. With Cojoe out, Baker may now be the sole pick for that starting position. Texas offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood praised both of them last week.
“Yeah, it’s definitely going to be a camp battle for sure,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of guys who have been playing there in the spring in Andre Cojoe and Brandon Baker who have done a really nice job… I think these guys are going to get challenged on a day-to-day basis.”
Analyst Says Arch Manning Under Most Pressure To Deliver in Opener Vs. Ohio State
Both Texas and Ohio State are coming into their home opener with a ton of pressure to win, with Ohio State being the defending champions and Texas being a preseason favorite. However, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit believes that no other person is under more pressure than Arch Manning to deliver.
“To answer your question about pressure, you have the defending national champs that are always under pressure, especially at home,” said the analyst. “You have Texas coming in with Steve Sarkisian and with Arch Manning. I don’t think it’s a lose-the-game, you’re-out-of-the-playoff kind of game. So I don’t know if it’s that kind of pressure, but I think just the expectations on Arch Manning, he probably has the most pressure.”
He added that Arch Manning’s last name, Manning, adds even more pressure, given how legendary his grandfather and uncles, Peyton and Eli, have become in the world of football.
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