Texas Football: PFF ranks Sam Cosmi as best returning Big 12 OL

A rising redshirt junior offensive lineman from the Texas football program, Sam Cosmi, was ranked as the best returning in the Big 12 this year by PFF.

The offensive line for the Texas football program in 2020 should be much improved compared to how they performed throughout much of the 2019 season. Texas didn’t get much help from their offensive line through the more difficult part of the Big 12 schedule last year. For much of the 2019 season, Texas led the Big 12 in sacks allowed.

The Texas Longhorns football program could be returning as many as three or four starters in the trenches on offense this fall. With rising redshirt senior offensive tackle Denzel Okafor putting his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 25, that could dwindle the number of returning starters along Texas’ offensive line down to three, though.

However, there is one major football media outlet that is at least high on a portion of the projected Texas offensive line starters this year. Pro Football Focus released their best returning offensive linemen in the Big 12 for the 2020 season on their college and draft Twitter page on March 26.

That list of the three best returning offensive linemen in the Big 12 from PFF Draft on March 26 had two Texas players. The top ranked returning linemen in the Big 12 for 2020 was listed by a good margin for rising redshirt junior offensive tackle Sam Cosmi. He was graded out by PFF at an 83.9. The next best on the list was Oklahoma Sooners rising redshirt junior Adrian Ealy.

Just behind Ealy on the list in the third spot was a fellow Texas player, and rising senior Derek Kerstetter. He was graded out at 71.7, compared to 73.4 for Ealy.

Cosmi, Ealy, and Kerstetter, were the only rankings given from this tweet by PFF Draft.

Moreover, the Longhorns did see phases of solid performances in the trenches. Texas got a huge push from their line in the regular season finale 49-24 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Alamo Bowl win on New Year’s Eve, 38-10, over the No. 11 ranked Utah Utes.

Given all the struggles they faced in Big 12 play last year, Texas still averaged more than 175 rushing yards per game and nearly five yards per carry. The combination of a rejuvenated rushing attack led by sophomore Keaontay Ingram and freshman Roschon Johnson, with the dual-threat ability from quarterback Sam Ehlinger, helped the Longhorns boost their stats on the ground.

Texas finished up the 2019 season with a record of 8-5 (5-4 Big 12) after beating Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Head coach Tom Herman will be coming back this fall with a new-look coaching staff, but a lot of returning production on both sides of the ball. Texas will need the offensive line to be sturdier on a consistent basis this fall too.