Christian Jones gives Colton Vasek nickname ‘Baby Bosa’

Seniors giving freshmen nicknames is an age-old tradition. Texas football is no exception. On Friday, offensive lineman Christian Jones revealed how Colton Vasek earned the nickname “Baby Bosa.”

“[It’s Vasek’s] body type,” Jones told the press. “You can just see how in the future, the weight program could definitely beef him up. He already has the frame for it, so he’s just got to keep working.”

The nickname comes with high expectations. Nick and Joey Bosa have a combined seven Pro Bowl appearances in the NFL. Further, Nick won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2022. If Vasek can sniff such achievements, Longhorns fans will be a happy bunch.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The freshman EDGE is listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. However, Jones claims Vasek is closer to 6-foot-6.

Vasek was ranked as the No. 96 overall prospect in the Class of 2023. Further, he was the No. 12 EDGE, and the No. 18 player hailing from the Lone Star State in the 2022 On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. 

Vasek initially committed to Brent Venables and Oklahoma before flipping his commitment to Texas. Who can blame him? Being a Longhorn is a family tradition. Vasek’s father was a defensive end at UT from 1991-95.

Evidently, Vasek is already making an impression. When a reporter asked Jones who were the most difficult players to block during practice, “Baby Bosa” made the cut. The praise leaves room for hope that Vasek receives significant playing time this season.

Nonetheless, it won’t be easy. Junior standout Barryn Sorrell seemingly has a vice grip on the first-string spot, and Justice Finkley also holds weight at the position. However, if Vasek can quickly add to his highly-touted frame, perhaps there is a spot for him on the field.

After all, the first-year EDGE fits into defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s schemes. In his senior year of high school, Vasek boasted 71 tackles with 14 sacks and 19 hurries. Those hurries will turn into turnovers. Those turnovers will turn into a smile on Kwiatkowski’s face.

“The good teams that I’ve been around that have gotten turnovers, it’s like a feeding frenzy,” Kwiatkowski said last week. “It feeds off itself. The whole group, they get that synergy going, and they come in bunches. There’s no magic pill or call or anything. You just keep working at it.”

Vasek will be a part of that work. Watch “Baby Bosa” make his Texas debut on Sept. 2 as the Longhorns take on Rice University in their season opener.