It’s all love and heartbreak in Austin this week — Texas offensive lineman Andre Cojoe just saw his 2025 season vanish in a blink. One awkward twist during practice, one torn ACL, and suddenly a brutal reminder: football’s a violent sport, especially when the head coach is dialing up the physicality.

According to On Texas Football, Cojoe went down while battling for the starting right tackle gig, a competition that had been heating up between him and sophomore Brandon Baker. And the timing? Couldn’t have been worse. With the season opener against reigning natty winner Ohio State looming, Steve Sarkisian had just cranked up the intensity, publicly calling for his tackles to get nastier and more uncomfortable in the trenches.

“For both those guys, what we’re pushing them to do is get out of their shell, get out of their comfort zone, play a little more nasty, if you want to be honest,” Sarkisian said recently.

Well, honesty has a price.

Cojoe’s injury doesn’t just sting because of what he brought physically — it stings because of how far he’d come. The 6-foot-6, 335-pound redshirt sophomore had reshaped his body since arriving as a raw, 17-year-old freshman. Dropped 20 pounds. Got leaner. Hungrier. He finally saw game action in four contests last season while Texas marched to the College Football Playoff. And just when it seemed like he might break through? Boom. All in vain.

Behind the scenes, Cojoe was literally a grinder. He came into the program as a three-star prospect, ranked No. 732 nationally by Rivals. Not flashy. Not loud. But Texas insiders believed he had the right mindset to eventually contribute. This offseason was supposed to be his breakout shot.

But that window’s now shut. And fair or not, fans are asking hard questions about Sark’s demand for increased physicality. The injuries are piling up early. Is pushing linemen past their comfort zone a strength-building tactic or a high-risk gamble? Meanwhile, Brandon Baker — a former five-star beast from Mater Dei — might be the one walking into the starting job by default. Rated the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2024 class by 247Sports, Baker was already getting first-team reps when practice was open to media. And his teammates see the potential.

“He’s a real technician, he’s really patient, and he’s a really smooth player,” said fellow lineman Trevor Goosby. “I just continue to tell him, just keep working hard every day, just keep going into little things, because little things, really, they change you as a player.” Offensive line coach Kyle Flood echoed that optimism: “I think both those guys have changed their bodies, improved their skill sets, and we’ll figure out during training camp how that all plays out.”

Well, training camp figured it out for them — and not in the way anyone hoped. Now it’s Baker’s job to lose. But even more than that, it’s Sarkisian’s pressure campaign that’s under the microscope. And in the middle of it all, Andre Cojoe’s recovery journey begins — with the Longhorn faithful sending nothing but prayers.

Longhorn nation sends love to Andre Cojoe — and calls out a bigger problem

When Barstool Longhorns posted the news on X, the response was immediate and heartfelt. Longhorn fans showed up with prayers — and pointed out what often hides in plain sight: the silent grind of the trenches gets overlooked until something breaks.

The moment word broke about Andre Cojoe’s torn ACL, the Texas fanbase didn’t hold back: “Never like when a trench guy gets hurt, they put more work into their craft than most realize.🙏”Offensive linemen in college football face about 0.25–0.50 injuries per 1,000 athlete‑exposures. The rate may seem low compared to skill positions, but injuries to linemen low-key tend to be more severe — particularly knee, shoulder, and ankle damage due to constant high‑impact collisions.

Another fan commented, “Recover soon young fella 🙏” Even top programs suffer O‑line losses. Last season, Ohio State lost center Seth McLaughlin to a torn Achilles and guard Josh Simmons to a knee injury — both season‑enders. Those two are now in the NFL. It’s a reminder: even national-title contenders can’t dodge the trench danger.

The next fan called out the real issue here: “How’s the Indoor Practice facility coming along? Need that to hurry up so we can get grass finally.” Despite all the noise about going back to grass, the new indoor spot’s still gonna be turf. Thing is, NCAA-era studies say today’s third-gen turf might actually drop overall injuries by around 14%—especially when it comes to hips, thighs, and knees. But there’s a tradeoff—turf’s got a rep for messin’ with ankles and feet, and maybe even upping the risk of ligament tears like ACLs… which, yep, is exactly what happened to Cojoe.

The sympathy for Cojoe stayed consistent across the board: “Hate this for him.”Hard to argue with that. Cojoe’s been the definition of that silent grind—signed early, reshaped his whole frame in the offseason, and was gearing up to battle for real reps. Now he’s staring down a long road—rehab, staying on top of his weight, and fighting through the mental side.

The last fan commented: “Grass can’t get here soon enough man.” Sure, old heads still swear by natural grass, but let’s keep it real—it’s not risk-free either. Some studies even show grass can lead to more muscle pulls and those nasty turf burns. Truth is, the real fix might not be about what you’re playing on, but how you’re managing bodies—smarter load control, better injury tracking during camp. That’s where the game really shifts.

Texas fans aren’t just upset — they’re rightfully torn. Andre Cojoe wasn’t a superstar recruit; he was the type of kid who earned everything. A late bloomer. A guy who quietly changed his body, embraced the technique, and fought for every rep. Now his shot is gone, and what remains is a deeper conversation about coaching intensity, injury risks, and how the modern college trenches are trained.

Some will point fingers at Sarkisian’s “play nastier” mantra. Others will say this is football — pushing limits sometimes leads to pain. At the end of the day, it’s about more than plays won or jobs secured. It’s about a program’s promise to its players — nurturing talent without breaking it. Let’s hope Cojoe comes back stronger. And maybe here’s a thought: sometimes the most physical move a team can make is knowing where to pull back.