Texas's Depth Chart Is the Story: Five Longhorns Turning Injury Chaos Into Playoff Viability

Injuries stripped Texas of an All-American tackle, its best edge rusher, and its starting RB. The replacements aren't just surviving — they're redefining roles.

College football depth is the thing everyone claims to have until the injuries arrive. Texas has lost All-American left tackle Trevor Goosby for the season, edge rusher Colin Simmons to a multi-week ankle sprain, starting running back Hollywood Smothers to an indefinite knee issue, and receiver Cam Coleman to a shoulder problem. The Longhorns are 7-2, ranked No. 7 in the CFP standings, and playing their most important stretch of the season with a patchwork lineup. The question isn't whether Texas recruited well — it's whether the backups can perform under SEC pressure when the stakes are real. Raleek Brown is the headliner. The Arizona State transfer, a former USC receiver listed at 5-9 and 193 pounds, has become the backfield bell cow with 48 carries for 272 yards over the past three games. More importantly, he's opened a receiving dimension — eight catches, 74 yards, two touchdowns in the last two — that Smothers didn't provide. Brown's dual-threat profile changes the math for defensive coordinators who previously loaded the box against Texas's power run game. Emmett Mosley V has stepped into Coleman's vacated targets with nine receptions for 183 yards over the past two games, both team highs. Sarkisian praised his versatility to play inside or outside and his route-running intelligence, calling him "a very complete player." The 6-2, 200-pound junior's chemistry with Arch Manning appears genuine — Sarkisian specifically noted Manning's trust in Mosley's positioning. That trust matters more than talent when a quarterback is reading zone coverage at full speed. The offensive line reshuffling is the grittiest story. Andre Cojoe entered the Ole Miss game at left tackle and immediately surrendered a strip-sack. Rather than bench him, Sarkisian and OL coach Kyle Flood flipped Cojoe to right tackle and moved Melvin Siani left. The result: 401 total yards against Missouri's defense, one of the SEC's best units. Cojoe remains a liability in pass protection but has become a dominant run blocker at 6-5, 339 pounds. Center Connor Robertson credited the offseason room-wide cross-training for making the transition manageable. On defense, Zina Umeozulu has started three straight games in place of Simmons, who still leads the NCAA with 10.5 sacks despite missing significant time. Umeozulu has produced nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack — not Simmons-level production, but enough to keep the pass rush functional. Linebacker Justin Cryer, the Florida State transfer, framed the depth situation bluntly: the players behind the starters are still elite recruits and high-level transfers. The talent doesn't vanish; it just changes names. The real test comes Saturday at No. 14 LSU in Tiger Stadium (6:30 p.m., ABC). Baton Rouge at night is where depth charts get stress-tested beyond practice reps. Simmons played only 18 snaps against Missouri; his availability against LSU will determine whether Umeozulu continues as a starter or returns to a rotational role. Smothers' status remains uncertain. If Brown, Mosley, and Cojoe can sustain their production in the most hostile road environment on the schedule, the argument shifts from "Texas is surviving injuries" to "Texas's roster construction is a genuine competitive advantage."