Cosby attended the University of Texas where he played football from 2005 to 2008. [1]
In 2005, he played in 9 games in the Longhorns consensus National Championship season. He recorded 15 receptions for 270 yards and 2 TDs as well a KR for 30 yards and 6 PRs for 92 yards. [3] He had a career long 64 yard touchdown reception against Kansas that was the 8th longest reception in school history at the time. He played in both the Big 12 Conference Championship game and the BCS Championship game - both of which Texas won. [4]
In 2006, he played in all 13 games and helped the Longhorns finish ranked #13 after winning the 2006 Alamo Bowl. He had 45 receptions for 454 yards and 2 TDs, including his first 100 yard+ game against Oklahoma State. He also had 15 returns for 398 yards, including a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown against Sam Houston State. Though just a sophomore, he was the team's 2nd leading receiver. In the Alamo Bowl, he had 5 KRs for an Alamo Bowl record-setting 139 yards. [4] [5] That season, based on his high school experience, he was the team's emergency 3rd-string quarterback due to injuries and transfers, but he never had to play behind center. [6]
In 2007 Cosby again played in all 13 games, was named 2nd team All-Big 12 by the AP and an Honorable Mention by the coaches and helped Texas to a #10 ranking following a victory in the Holiday Bowl. [1] He set the school records for kick returns and all returns in a season with 42 and 61 respectively and kick return and all return yards with 1,017 and 1,195 respectively including a 91-yard KR for a touchdown against Texas A&M. He and Nate Jones teamed up for 130 receptions, which was at the time the 2nd most by a pair of Texas receivers in a season behind Kwame Cavil and Ryan Nunez who had 156 in 1999. [4] Cosby led the team with 1,857 all-purpose yards (6th best in school history at the time), averaging 24.2 yards per KR (7th best in school history at the time), was the team's 2nd leading receiver again. In the Holiday Bowl he caught a 55 yard touchdown pass, which was the 12th longest reception in a bowl game in school history at the time. [4]
In 2008, Cosby was named a team captain, along with Colt McCoy, Roy Miller and Brian Orakpo on a team that won a share of the Big 12 South and finished ranked #3 after winning the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. With Jordan Shipley he formed the most successful receiving duo in school history recording more receptions (181) and yards (2,183) in a season than any other pair of receivers. Against Oklahoma, for the first time in school history, Texas had a 100-yard rusher (Chris Ogbonnaya with 127 yards) and two 100-yard receivers - Cosby with 122 yards and Shipley with 112 yards. [4] That season he led the team with 92 receptions and 1,123 receiving yards (both of which were 2nd most in school history at the time); and was again named 2nd team All-Big 12 by the AP and an Honorable mention by the coaches. [4] He had fewer TD receptions than Shipley that year, but was tied for 3rd most in a season in school history with Herkie Walls behind Shipley and Limas Sweed. He was also just 39 yards behind Shipley with 1,511 all-purpose yards. At the Fiesta Bowl, he set the school record for most receptions in a game with 14, which is still the school record for a bowl game, had a career high 171 receiving yards (the 2nd most in a bowl game in school history) and tied the school record for TD receptions in a bowl game (2). [4] He also made the First Team Academic All-Big 12. [1] His 14 catches were the 2nd most ever at the Fiesta Bowl. [7]
He finished his career with 72 kick returns for 1,731 yards, both school records; 212 receptions, 2nd most in school history at the time behind only Roy Williams; 2,598 yards receiving, 3rd most in school history at the time behind Williams and Mike Adams; 19 career receiving TDs, 3rd most in school history at the time behind Williams and Sweed; 11.3 yards per punt return, 5th best in school history at the time; a 24.2 yard average KR, 6th best in school history at the time; and 4,701 career all-purpose yards, 6th best in school history at the time. Between 2005 and 2008 he caught a pass in 44 consecutive games, the 2nd longest streak in school history behind Williams. He was also at the time one of only three Longhorns to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in his career. [4]
After his college career was over, he played in the 2009 Senior Bowl. [1]
In 2023 he was named to the Texas Longhorn Hall of Honor. [1]
