When it comes to the offensive line, the tackles always draw the spotlight. They get the most attention, the most postseason awards and — hopefully for them — the most NFL money.
So, when Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood decided to switch last year’s starting right tackle Brandon Baker to right guard at the start of this offseason, did they have to sell the position shift to the rising junior?
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“Not too much, honestly,” Baker told reporters Thursday. “I’m a football guy, and I love football, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be out there on the field.”
That willingness to move inside and make room for transfer signee Melvin Siani at right tackle “shows you what kind of teammate he is,” said Longhorns left tackle Trevor Goosby.
Baker arrived in Austin from Southern California prep powerhouse Mater Dei High School as a five-star recruit based on his elite athleticism. But the 6-foot-4, 3d05-pounder doesn’t possess the standard length of most elite tackles such as Goosby, who’s projected as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL raft.
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Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) and offensive lineman Brandon Baker after a win against Kentucky on Oct. 18, 2025, at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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Goosby, who’s missed spring practice while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, thinks Baker has a bright future in the interior.
“He’s built more like a guard, in my opinion, and he’s been able to use that to his advantage,” Goosby said. “And he’s been a really technically sound guy, and a guy that’s been able to play really good football for us this spring.”
Besides, the transition from tackle to guard isn’t new for Baker, who played some guard at Mater Dei. He’s had to tweak how he processes the calls in Flood’s blocking schemes, but his elite technique and exquisite footwork seem like natural tools for a guard.
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“It’s been a great adjustment so far,” he said. “Coach Flood, a lot of his terminology, different sound bites, that takes a little bit of time to get used to. But for the most part, everything’s been smooth, thankfully.”
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the field as Texas warms up ahead of the Longhorns’ game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 22, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Goosby said he admires how Baker has adapted to the rough-and-tumble play in the interior compared to the brutal ballet of sorts out at tackle.
“I think when you play tackle, you’re more in space,” Goosby said. “You’ve got to go against guys like (Texas speed rushers) Colin Simmons and Lance Jackson and edge rushers like that. And then at guard, everything happens a lot faster because they’re really close to you. And it’s just a lot more — I don’t want to say violent, but I guess it’s less finesse, if you will, at guard than tackle.”
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Moving Baker to guard almost happened last year before a season-ending injury to prospective right tackle Andre Cojoe, Sarkisian said earlier this spring.
“I just think when you look at Brandon’s measurables, and you look at kind of his future in the game, he’s kind of got a guard build, and quite frankly, that was one of the hopes we were going to have for him last year,” Sarkisian said. “I think solidifying ourselves from the inside on that right side of the line with him and Melvin at right tackle is really beneficial for us long term.”