Texas Football: ESPN names Sam Cosmi to preseason All-American Team

ESPN tabbed one Preseason All-America selection from the Texas football program this fall, redshirt junior offensive tackle Sam Cosmi.

ESPN just released their preseason predictions and accolades for what’s to come, namely around the Power Five conferences, for the 2020 college football campaign. And the Texas football program was pretty frequently mentioned amid these preseason picks and honors. But the lone Longhorn that was picked for ESPN Preseason All-American Team was redshirt junior offensive tackle and the 6-foot-7 and 300 pound Sam Cosmi.

As not only one of the best offensive linemen to roll through the Forty Acres in the last few years, Cosmi could be the best in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball in the Big 12 this fall. Cosmi looks to be a projected early-to-mid first round pick if he declares one year early for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Cosmi is a sure fire candidate from this Longhorns team to be a potential AP First or Second Team All-American by season’s end, especially given that two of the Power Five conferences (PAC-12 and Big Ten) don’t look like they will be holding their usual fall football seasons. In the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the season will feature a greatly condensed number of games and teams planned to compete in the fall.

ESPN picked Cosmi as one of two offensive tackles out of the Power Five for their Preseason All-American Team. The other was Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood.

Here’s more on what ESPN had to say on the matter of Cosmi as a Preseason All-American selection.

"The 6-7, 309-pound redshirt junior is back at left tackle to protect Sam Ehlinger’s blind side. Cosmi’s blend of size, quick feet and experience makes him one of the most complete offensive linemen in college football. He played right tackle two years ago for the Longhorns and enters the 2020 season with 26 career starts."

There’s a lot to be excited about for what this Texas offensive line can bring to the table in 2020. Ideally they will be much more reliable blocking in front of quarterback Sam Ehlinger, given returning proven linemen like Cosmi and Derek Kerstetter leading the way.

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Texas opens up their 2020 season against the UTEP Miners out of the Conference-USA at home on Sep. 12. UTEP comes into the game with a 1-0 record after knocking off the FCS Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at home in El Paso back on Sep. 5.

Then, Cosmi and the Longhorns open up Big 12 play on the road on Sep. 26 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The line will need to get off to a strong start to help all of the potent skill position weapons the Longhorns could boast in 2020.