Longhorns RB CJ Baxter Injured vs. Rice

Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter exited Saturday's game against Rice due to an unknown injury.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Longhorns freshman running back CJ Baxter quickly showed fans in Saturday's opener against the Rice Owls at DKR why he was so highly regarded coming out of high school.

Unfortunately, he got shaken up after making his first big play on Saturday before being taken to the orange medical tent on the Texas sidelines. He was eventually taken back to the locker room. It's unclear as of now what injury he sustained. Baxter exited with five carries for 38 yards.

Baxter had just broken off an impressive 33-yard run that set the Longhorns up in field-goal range. Texas built a 13-3 lead as a result, but he looked shaken up at the end of the play as he got up under his own power.

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Texas will now rely on Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson in Baxter's potential absence. Brooks and Baxter were listed as co-starters on the first official depth chart.

The Texas running backs had an eventful first half. Brooks scored on a 37-yard screen pass before dropping a would-be score in the second quarter.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had praised Baxter's ability during spring ball.

"He doesn't feel like a freshman right now,” Sarkisian said of the 6-1, 215-pound Baxter. “I mean, he worked hard in winter conditioning, he's got a 4.0 GPA, he went out and practiced no-nonsense today. He has provided a real mature mindset to everything that he does.”

The Longhorns lead the Owls 13-3 in the second quarter.

This is a developing story.