Texas Longhorns will be without CJ Baxter due to a knee injury, so where will Steve Sarkisian turn on offense?
The Texas Longhorns received some terrible news on Tuesday when true sophomore star running back CJ Baxter reportedly injured his knee during practice. He underwent an MRI and it was reported that he tore his LCL and PCL. Recovery time is expected to be somewhere between six and nine months.Anwar Richardson of Orange Bloods broke […]
The Texas Longhorns received some terrible news on Tuesday when true sophomore star running back CJ Baxter reportedly injured his knee during practice. He underwent an MRI and it was reported that he tore his LCL and PCL. Recovery time is expected to be somewhere between six and nine months.
Anwar Richardson of Orange Bloods broke the news first today as the Longhorns found out that this does indeed mean CJ Baxter will be out for the entire duration of the 2024 college football season.
But what does this mean for Texas now that Baxter will be missing the whole season? The expectations for the Longhorns are "playoff or bust", if not higher, so who will Steve Sarkisian ask to step up at running back with Baxter sidelined for the season?
Jaydon Blue is the Real Deal
Last season when Jonathon Brooks went down with his injury it became the CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue show. Now that Baxter is out Blue should be ready to carry a feature back workload. He jumped in down the stretch logging 115 snaps over the last four games for Texas racking up 359 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 49 touches.
Blue's explosiveness is what makes him special as he averaged over 7.3 yards per touch throughout that four game stretch for the Longhorns. This shouldn't surprise Texas fans who know just how special Blue has been for years as he's waited his turn for greatness.
Prior to joining the Longhorns he was one of the most highly touted recruits in his class as he tallied nearly 4000 yards from scrimmage during his sophomore and junior seasons of high school. Blue sat out his senior season and the recruiting services knocked him down the rankings needlessly, but he's still just the same elite talent that he was then. Now that Blue is going to be the lead back in 2024 he'll have no problem proving to be worthy of a feature back role this season.
Other Key Texas Running Back Depth
The Longhorns have plenty of depth beyond just Jaydon Blue too. Tre Wisner got involved some last season as a true freshman and brings a balanced skill set to contribute on any down he's called upon. He might not have the flashy recruiting profile that other Texas running backs have had in the past, but his elusiveness could bring great value.
Jerrick Gibson, the top tier true freshman four star running back from IMG Academy is the name behind Jaydon Blue that brings the most excitement. Gibson was long considered by many to be the number one running back in his class who brings elite athleticism with a 4.5-second forty and vertical jump over 40 inches. Already over 200 pounds, Gibson should be ready to hop in right away as a significant contributor.
Be looking for more Texas Longhorns coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to check out Jaydon Blue's highlights to see the steady hands the Texas ground game will be in this fall just watch his highlights video below!
