The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Ossai drafted by Cincinnati Bengals
04.30.2021 | Football
Football’s Joseph Ossai was selected in the third round with the 69th overall pick.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football's Joseph Ossai was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 69th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Friday.
Ossai's selection makes him the 25th Texas defensive lineman or linebacker taken in the NFL Draft since 2000. He is the 10th Longhorn selected all-time by the Cincinnati Bengals, and the first since linebacker Malik Jefferson in 2018.
Ossai earned recognition from all five recognized All-America teams this past season, collecting first-team honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of American and WCFF, and second-team accolades from the American Football Coaches Association and Sporting News. Ossai's three first-team honors granted him consensus All-America honors, the 61st Longhorn to achieve that feat in school history. In addition to being selected as a consensus first-team All-American, Ossai was recognized as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy, and a first-team All-Big 12 selection.
In 2020, Ossai served as a team captain and started all nine games of the regular season for the Longhorns. In that time, he recorded 55 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss – the most in the Big 12 and second-most nationally at the end of the regular season – five sacks, three forced fumbles, one recovery, two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. Ossai recorded a tackle for loss in eight of nine games that he played in this season, including matching his career high with six TFLs in a road win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State. That night, Ossai totaled 12 tackles, six tackle for loss, three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered one to help the Longhorns earn their first road win over a top-10 team since 2010. He sealed the win by sacking OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders on fourth down in overtime, and in doing so became the first Power Five player to recorded at least 12 tackles, six TFLs and three sacks in a game since Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game.
The Conroe, Texas native also recorded six tackles for loss and three sacks in Texas' 2019 Valero Alamo Bowl victory over No. 11 Utah. He is the only FBS player over the last 20 seasons to record at least six tackles for loss and three sacks in a bowl game. His dynamic day at the Alamo Bowl was the cap on a breakout campaign for Ossai in 2019, a year in which he started all 13 games, led the Longhorns with 90 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and nine quarterback hurries. He also intercepted two passes, forced one fumble and blocked one kick. Ossai played in 36 games and made 24 starts (23 consecutive, since 2018 Sugar Bowl) during his time at Texas.
Ossai logged 165 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, forced five fumbles, broke up three passes and intercepted two during his three-year career on the Forty Acres. He recorded at least eight tackles 13 times, the third-most occurrences by a Longhorn over the last 20 seasons.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Beast! Nice pick @Bengals! Congratulations @joseph_ossai! #NFLDraft #TexasMade pic.twitter.com/KWf7S8Xzvq
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
He's bout to be a 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌 in the league.
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) May 1, 2021
Joseph Ossai ➡️ @Bengals #HookEm pic.twitter.com/MDjebYJ4ld
Sliding into Cincy like...🤘@Bengals @joseph_ossai pic.twitter.com/FXe5q5rpOc
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
🤘🤘🤘
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 1, 2021
Welcome to Cincinnati, @joseph_ossai! pic.twitter.com/NcxS22w73D
ATX ➡️ Cincy 🤘@joseph_ossai @Bengals pic.twitter.com/VsOECtkxMY
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
Hyped in Texas 🤘🐅
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 1, 2021
Watch the #NFLDraft on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/NXilAQKZjA
Charles to Joseph: Welcome to the NFL. 🤘@charless_94 @joseph_ossai pic.twitter.com/WaTUNo7p21
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021=
DE Joseph Ossai speaks with the media after being drafted by the Bengals. https://t.co/ZuJQRxxDZq
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 1, 2021
Dream come true for Joseph Ossai. 🤘@joseph_ossai @Bengals pic.twitter.com/Zi0UufYZXh
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 1, 2021
