The Texas Longhorns running game was one of the most surprising aspects of the offense n 2023. After the loss of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson to the NFL, many questioned how effective this room would be.
However, before his season-ending injury to his ACL against TCU in November, Johnathan Brooks was putting the nation on notice, rushing for 1,135 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, and only a single fumble with an average of 6.1 yards per rush despite missing the final two games of the regular season. With Brooks out, the starting role was filled by exciting freshman CJ Baxter, who will likely assume the starting role with the departure of Brooks and Keilan Robinson to the NFL Draft.
Coming out of high school in Orlando, Baxter was the No. 1 running back in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The talented five-star recruit was actually set to be the starter for the Longhorns before injuring his rib in Week One against Rice and his foot in Week Two against Alabama. Brooks took the opportunity and ran with it, pun intended.
Baxter finished the season with 665 rushing yards and five touchdowns, on an average yards per carry of 4.8. With a bigger workload the last four games of the season, Baxter averaged 68.75 yards per game, which isn’t incredible, but mostly due to gameflow and a shared backfield with then-sophomore Jaydon Blue.
Baxter is shifty and has high end speed around the outside — 44 percent of his attempts were on outside runs around either the left or right edge, 25 to the left, and 37 to the right, with 298 of his 657 rushing yards coming off tackle.
An area that Baxter will need to improve on in his second season is his rushing between the tackles, but a full season of offseason training with this coaching staff in a high-level training facility should get him where he needs to be as an elite rusher in the SEC.
Baxter is an effective two-way running back with elite ability as a runner and pass catcher. Last year he totaled 23 receptions on 25 targets for a total of 148 yards, with a healthy dose of rushing and receiving routes thanks to an almost 50–50 split with 172 snaps as a rusher and 152 snaps as a receiver. Next year with more of the rushing workload put on his plate this should move more to a 70–30 split, however, his ability to act as a receiver should provide another great weapon for Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns passing game that I expect to take a big step forward in his third season.
People should expect a jump from Baxter in his second year, especially on tough runs. Last year Baxter totaled only 29 missed tackles and a 23.2 percent breakaway percentage in the second level to create big gains. With 18 explosive runs over 10-plus yards, and 6 over 15-plus yards, there will certainly be a lot of room to improve for the five-star sophomore. The sky’s the limit, though and with the majority of his offensive line returning, coupled with his elite ability as a pass catcher, Baxter should have a great season in year two.
It will be up to the coaching staff to mold Baxter into the every down back that he is bound to be. Ultimately this should be Baxter’s backfield next season, with Jaydon Blue and Savion Red in the mix as change of pace backs.
Blue, especially in the second half of the season, established himself as the second option behind Baxter in the depth chart. Averaging only 10 snaps per game, and an impressive outing against Texas Tech in the final game of the season where he finished with 121 yards and a touchdown, a 69-yarder.
So far this is what the running back room will look like in 2024 — CJ Baxter handling the bulk of the workload, with Blue, Red, and Tre Wisner as the change-of-pace backs, and Jerrick Gibson and Christian Clark starting their first years on the bottom of the depth chart.
