Texas left tackle Trevor Goosby, a likely first-round draft pick and the protector of Arch Manning’s blind side, will miss the rest of this season with a knee injury.
Goosby suffered the injury on Saturday against Ole Miss. The exact nature of the injury has not been revealed, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Goosby’s knee doesn’t look good, and Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that he won’t play again this season.
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Goosby currently ranks 15th in the betting odds to be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft. First overall now seems extremely unlikely, but unless the injury is very severe, he still looks like a safe bet to be a first-round pick.
Goosby could also, however, decide to keep playing college football in 2027. He still has a year of NCAA eligibility left, and he is believed to be making more than $1 million in NIL this year. The combination of an even more lucrative NIL deal next year and the chance to bolster his draft stock with an even better season in 2027 may entice him to return to college and wait until 2028 to enter the NFL draft.
Manning, who has had an up-and-down season at Texas this year, may struggle without Goosby protecting him, and that will also make an impact on Manning’s status. Manning entered this season as the favorite to go first overall in the 2027 NFL draft, but his play this year has not justified that hype, and there’s now talk that Manning could stay in college in 2027 and focus on the 2028 draft.