It’s nice to have a five-star running back to replace your starter when he’s sidelined for the year with a torn ACL.
True freshman Cedric Baxter got the start in Week 1, but injuries replaced him with Jonathon Brooks who excelled. Unfortunately, Brooks suffered a season-ending knee injury against TCU.
Baxter seems to have all the tools to excel but just needs to put them together, and things were falling into place for him on Saturday. He rushed for 117 yards on 20 carries and averaged 5.9 yards per carry against the Cyclones. He showed true explosion when the ball was in his hands.
Having Baxter fully healthy for Friday’s game against Texas Tech will be crucial, as the Longhorns will look to clinch a berth in the Big 12 title game.
Baxter was rated the No. 1 running back in the country for the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 5 overall recruit in Florida, according to 247Sports.