The Lombardi Award. The Outland Trophy. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy. Unanimous All-American. The No. 9 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The list of accomplishments for former Texas Longhorns left tackle Kelvin Banks is a lengthy one after a phenomenal 2024 seasons capped a stellar career on the Forty Acres.
Banks isn’t walking through the doors of Moncrief this fall, but junior Trevor Goosby can certainly fill up a doorway himself — at 6’7, 312 pounds, Goosby is a more formidable presence than the shorter
Banks, who faced questions about his height during the pre-draft process.
Goosby won’t, and it’s possible that the redshirt sophomore could be going through that process earlier than expected when he signed with Texas in the 2023 recruiting class as a lean, 280-pounder ranked outside the top 400 prospect nationally.
That’s because Goosby acquitted himself so well in playing 261 of his 319 snaps in 2024 in four of the final five games due to injuries sustained by Banks and Cam Williams for the media to select him to the preseason All-SEC third team.
In fact, Goosby was so good that it’s fair to wonder why Williams was on the field to give up the two critical sacks late in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State given that Williams is only now regaining his health enough to return to football activities.
“It’s gone really well — I was prepared last year and that preparation really carried over into this year,” Goosby said on Thursday, addressing his transition to the starting role. “I can credit Coach [Kyle] Flood and Kevin Banks and all the guys that have graduated, Jake Majors, they all helped me with my leadership. Going into the new starting role, it kind of invites a new leadership role. And I’ve really taken that on really well.”
Now the younger linemen are looking to Goosby for guidance like Goosby looked to Banks over the last two seasons, leaving the Melissa product aware of the high standard set by his predecessor, who was known to be the first player to arrive at the facility every day.
For teammates like sophomore right tackle Brandon Baker, Goosby dispenses advice about paying attention to details.
“Baker, he’s a real technician, he’s really patient, and he’s a really smooth player. I just continue to tell him, just keep working hard every day, just keep going into the little things. Because little things, they really change you as a player,” Baker said.
It’s an understanding that sharpened for Goosby as he was unexpectedly thrust onto the field in high-stakes games.
“Everything matters. Every little thing, what time you go to bed, how much you hydrate, and stuff like that. Preparation, just being prepared, especially playing the SEC and playing at the level that we play at, it’s very important,” Goosby said.
For an offensive line that replaces four of five starters, the question is whether Texas can be more consistent in the running game despite those losses. Goosby believes the Horns are developing the right type of identity to impose themselves on opponents more frequently.
“I think we’re really gritty O-line. I think we’re just really gritty and ground and pound. We just have that, move somebody off the ball establishment about ourselves and identity about ourselves, that’s kind of what we pride ourselves on,” Goosby said.
Physical maturation has helped Goosby grow as a run blocker.
“Trevor has had a really good summer building his body. Offensive linemen come to you in all different shapes and forms. Some guys get here, and they may be a little too big, and we lean them up a little bit. Other guys, like Trevor, were really lean, and we’ve kind of built him up, and now he’s moving as well in his body as he’s ever moved. So I think that because your strength catches up to you in terms of your height and your length and your weight, I think all that stuff has kind of come together in a really good way,” Texas offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood said on Tuesday.
A little bit of perspective keeps Goosby motivated.
“I love it. I love playing O-line. I love being at the University of Texas and I wake up with breath in my lungs every day, and it’s a blessing from God every day. I get 24 hours. God gives me 24 hours. What am I gonna do with it? And I’m gonna be the best version of myself, and I do it for my family too, my mom, both my brothers, my pops, and everybody else. So, I’ve got people that are counting on me, so that really keeps me going.”
More from burntorangenation.com:
- LaAllan Clark says Texas is moving Brad Spence from LB to EDGE
- Steve Sarkisian on the Texas WRs: ‘I feel great about that room’
- Former Texas silent commit Keawe Brown releases statement on re-opening recruitment
- 2025 Maui Invitational bracket released
- Deep, talented Texas RB room seeks elite status
- Jeff Banks details three areas for improvement on Texas special teams
- Kyle Flood is excited about Ryan Niblett’s return to WR for Texas
