OTF Premium SEC Media Days 2025: Further confirmation that Texas is taking the right approach when building its offensive line

[Jeff Howe]

On Texas Football coverage of SEC Media Days is brought to you by Vonlane, Flat Creek Estate Winery, Advanced Pain Care and South Point Dodge.

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ATLANTA — No matter where his career as a college football coach has taken him, Brian Kelly’s track record of evaluating, recruiting and developing offensive linemen is second to none.

After overseeing Jason Kelce’s development from a walk-on linebacker to a likely Pro Football Hall of Fame center during his Cincinnati tenure, Kelly’s time as Notre Dame’s coach (2010-21) was a trench boon for the Fighting Irish. Kelly recruited and coached 11 Notre Dame offensive linemen who were eventually drafted, including five in the first round (Zack Martin in 2014, Ronnie Stanley in 2016, Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson in 2018 and Joe Alt in 2024).

The trend has continued at LSU, which had four offensive linemen selected in the 2025 draft, including Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick. Knowing what the Tigers would be facing, Kelly and offensive line coach Brad Davis did their best to address the exodus before it happened.

“If you're trying to address graduation in a knee-jerk reaction and not having that planned in advance, you're probably going to take a hit on the offensive line this year,” Kelly said from inside the College Football Hall of Fame during SEC Media Days on Monday. “We have been grooming some players for their chance and their opportunity.”

Still, even though Kelly and Davis have done their best to develop LSU’s incoming talent, they went into the transfer portal to bolster a group tasked with protecting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

Texas is in the same boat in its second season in the SEC. Outland Trophy winner Kelvin Banks, the Longhorn offensive lineman to go in the first round of the draft (No. 9 overall) since 2002, headlines the four starters who departed Kyle Flood’s room after a 13-win run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Nevertheless, while Kelly talked openly about the importance of player development while the Bayou Bengals go through a trench reboot, the offensive line under Flood and Steve Sarkisian is buoyed by it, with the Longhorns exclusively counting on homegrown talent to win line of scrimmage battles in the SEC. The five members of the projected starting offensive line (left tackle Trevor Goosby, left guard Neto Umeozulu, center Cole Hutson, right guard DJ Campbell and right tackle Brandon Baker) heading into the season were recruited by the current regime, the first time that’s been the case in Sarkisian’s tenure.

Texas kicked the tires on USC transfer Emmanuel Pregnon, who ultimately committed to Oregon. The decision to stick with in-house personnel for spring practice allowed Baker and Andre Cojoe to battle it out at right tackle, Nate Kibble to ascend the depth chart and Nick Brooks to emerge as a young tackle with a boatload of potential.

Although Sarkisian and Flood started building the Longhorn offensive line through high school recruiting a year before Kelly got to Baton Rouge, it speaks volumes of the staff successfully building the roster from the inside out that Texas is one of the favorites to win the SEC amid significant departures among the program's big humans. The Longhorns didn’t cut corners, and while Flood developed a pair of former Herb Hand recruits into draft picks (Christian Jones in 2024 and Hayden Conner in 2025), Banks and Cameron Williams (a 2025 sixth-round pick) emerged from the Sarkisian organization’s first full recruiting cycle (2022) as NFL players.

Considering how excited Kelly sounded when talking up the revamped LSU offensive line, Sarkisian should be equally as giddy about the outlook for Flood’s new-look group when Texas meets with the media on Tuesday.

“I'm bullish on our offensive line,” Kelly said. “I think we're going to be able to produce the kind of things necessary to be a championship team.”

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[Jeff Howe]

Say what you want about Brian Kelly (and you can say a lot), but he knows what he's doing when it comes to building an offensive line. If he likes where LSU is right now, Sark should love where Texas is in the trenches.

[utx2]

In Flood we trust as does Sark 

Edited 5 hours ago by utx2

[SuperDave0805]

Went double digit seasons with at best a serviceable line to at worst lines that couldn't block a good Jr High defense. Things have sure changed for the better 

[Jeff Howe]

1 minute ago, SuperDave0805 said:

Went double digit seasons with at best a serviceable line to at worst lines that couldn't block a good Jr High defense. Things have sure changed for the better 

What you laid out is exactly why I love what Sark and Flood have done and continue to do.

Don't cut corners when it comes to offensive line talent. They're not perfect, but they've had far more hits than misses.

[Drunk randoke]

Jeff do you know what time Texas is on tomorrow?  Wanted to tell my dad so he can tune in at the right time.

[Jeff Howe]

7 minutes ago, Drunk randoke said:

Jeff do you know what time Texas is on tomorrow?  Wanted to tell my dad so he can tune in at the right time.

Around 1 p.m. CT.

[Joe Naural]

3 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

Say what you want about Brian Kelly (and you can say a lot), but he knows what he's doing when it comes to building an offensive line. If he likes where LSU is right now, Sark should love where Texas is in the trenches.

Kelly did fabulous job w the last Heisman  Qb .

and its either his qb this yr or Arch winning it this yr.  
  

[SuperDave0805]

 

Edited 1 minute ago by SuperDave0805