Brandon Baker's youth stands out among a veteran group of starting O-line candidates

The candidates for spots on Texas’ offensive line in 2025 are as follows. Players are listed according to eligibility in descending order:

• Fourth-year senior DJ Campbell
• Fourth-year senior Cole Hutson
• Fourth-year junior Connor Robertson
• Fourth-year junior Neto Umeozulu
• Third-year sophomore Trevor Goosby
• Third-year sophomore Jaydon Chatman
• Third-year sophomore Andre Cojoe
• Second-year sophomore Brandon Baker

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There’s an outlier among that group in Baker. A product of the powerhouse Mater Dei program in California, Baker was ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect and No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. Baker is the only member of his class contending for a starting job this season, with Nate Kibble and Daniel Cruz still likely a year away.

For Kyle Flood to have several players from his 2022 and 2023 classes that have been in the program for at least three years at his disposal is a significant plus as he looks to replace four starters who ventured off to the NFL. The old football adage is the closer to the ball you are, the harder it is to play early. Texas tested that adage early in Flood’s time in Austin, but largely abided by it during the Longhorns’ run to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals.

There likely won’t be any first-year players contending for a starting role unless there’s a massive leap from promising freshman Nick Brooks. Baker stands as the only second-year player who, at this point ahead of the 2025 season, is in contention for a spot on the offensive line.

And despite his youth, he has a good chance to end up being the only second-year player starting on the Texas first five.

Baker saw 65 total offensive snaps during his first season on the 40 Acres, most of them in the Longhorns’ Group of Five non-conference games. He played late versus Florida, the game where he posted his best Pro Football Focus offensive grade of the season with a 71.4. He also saw one offensive snap versus Georgia when Texas needed him in place of a briefly-sidelined Cam Williams. Outside of those opportunities, Baker was a regular on the Longhorns’ field goal unit in the back half of the season.

At the end of the 2024 campaign, Baker earned praise from Flood when he was made available before the Peach Bowl.

“I think Brandon has a bright future, a true freshman,” Flood said December 30. “As a player, he’s an improving player right now. He works really hard. It’s really important to him. So he’s got a bright future. We are excited.”

Baker even earned high marks from Quintrevion Wisner during spring practices, with Wisner saying that Baker along with Umeozulu came into the spring with chips on their shoulder.

The Longhorns head coach offered accolades, too. Steve Sarkisian said following Texas’ April 12 scrimmage that Baker was one of the “developmental players” that stood out to him, the only O-lineman mentioned. And after the end of spring practices, Baker was one of the five players Sarkisian listed when speaking about how what he learned about his offensive line.

“I would say I’m confident in our ability,” Sarkisian said April 26. “We have some high level players on that unit. With DJ Campbell, when he’s at his best, what that looks like I’m very confident in. What Trevor Goosby looks like at his best I’m very confident in. With Cole Hutson, Neto, the Brandon Bakers of the world, these guys when they’re on it’s really, really good.”

That inclusion should serve as an indicator of where Baker stands in the battle to replace Williams, but it won’t be without some competition from players who have a little bit more time in the program than he does.

Cojoe is seen as the biggest competition for Baker, with Brooks also factoring in some. However, Cojoe entered Texas extremely young for his grade, so the two could be viewed as on similar developmental timelines.

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Baker also has two times as many career offensive snaps as Cojoe. While the competition is likely to continue throughout the summer and into preseason camp, and while most of the other spots on the Texas O-line will be manned by players in the back half of their college football careers, Baker is primed to end Texas’ one-year hiatus from starting a first- or second-year player in the offensive trenches.