Jonathon Brooks Seizes Opportunity to Shine as Texas’ Primary Running Back Following CJ Baxter’s Injury – Great

VIDEO: Late Kick: Texas surges late to defeat Wyoming

AUSTIN, Texas — While CJ Baxter continues to make his way back onto the field for No. 3 Texas after injuring his foot late in the team’s 34-24 road win over Alabama on Sept. 9, Jonathon Brooks used last Saturday’s 31-10 home victory over Wyoming as an audition to be the bell cow in the backfield. After sharing carries with Baxter (16 carries) through the first two games of the 2023 season, Brooks (26 carries heading into the Wyoming game) got the ball on 21 of the offense’s 31 official rushing attempts against the Cowboys and made the most of his opportunity to shine.

Buoyed by a 61-yard run (the longest gain from scrimmage by the Longhorns through three games), Brooks ran for a career-high 164 yards to lead a Texas (3-0) rushing attack that dominated the fourth quarter for the second week in a row. After helping the offense drain the final 7:14 off of the clock in Tuscaloosa to put away the Crimson Tide led by Brooks’ 32 yards on eight carries (including a 14-yard run on third-and-7 from the Texas 44 for the second of three game-clinching first downs on the drive), Brooks churned out 112 yards on his final 10 carries of the game.

The 61-yard jaunt came on a 6-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a physical 5-yard touchdown run by Quinn Ewers. Ewers reached the end zone to finish the drive, but Brooks led the Longhorns to the lip of the cup on five consecutive carries as part of a fourth quarter in which the running game racked up 97 yards on 11 carries.

Steve Sarkisian described Brooks knifing through the Cowboys in crunch time as “a really cool game for him.” Even with Baxter starting against the Tide and in the season-opening win over Rice, Brooks proved himself as a formidable runner against Alabama and the confidence he gained carried over to his breakthrough outing against Wyoming.

“When CJ couldn’t go and JB knew he was gonna kind of be the bell cow for us, I think he had that confidence from the week before that he could and it showed up,” Sarkisian said during his weekly news conference on Monday. “I thought he played really good football for Saturday night.”

Multiple sources told Horns247 throughout the preseason about the internal confidence regarding Baxter and Brooks emerging as a 1-2 punch in the backfield in a season where replacing Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson was always going to be a tall order. Baxter should be back soon, perhaps for Saturday’s Big 12 opener against Baylor at Waco’s McLane Stadium (6:30 p.m., ABC) with Sarkisian reiterating his thought process in holding Baxter out against the Cowboys.

“I just didn’t feel comfortable where he was at and how he was feeling before that ballgame,” Sarkisian said. “He was back today. Again, we’ve got to keep monitoring him throughout the week and see how he responds from day to day.”

The only thing that might change when Baxter returns is when he takes the field. That might not be on the offense’s first play from scrimmage given what Brooks has shown the coaches lately.

“He’s really taking care of the football. Situationally, his understanding of what we’re trying to do. He’s a he’s a problem in the passing game. He’s just grown,” Sarkisian said when he was asked where he’s seen the most growth from Brooks throughout his time in the program.”His development has been that he’s grown as a player, but he’s also, I think, grown personally. He’s a guy that’s one of the leaders on our team and [we’re] glad we got him.”