Steve Sarkisian: Longhorns RB C.J. Baxter 'Doesn't Feel Like a Freshman'

C.J. Baxter might have ended up carving out more reps with the first-team offense in the Texas Longhorns' first week of spring practice.

How does one duplicate the success of Texas running back Bijan Robinson? 

Simple: they don't.

Robinson, the reigning Doak Walker Award winner and likely consensus top running back prospect for the 2023 draft, is one-of-one. Few players in college football move with such grace. Even fewer can match the consistent production put on display for three years in Austin. 

Third-year Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian isn't looking to replace Robinson's persona come September, just simply his production. The easy part would have been promoting secondary running back Roschon Johnson to the full-time role, but the senior entered the draft after five seasons on the Forty Acres. 

So, Texas starts fresh. How fresh? Keep an eye on freshman phenom C.J. Baxter to see ample production next fall if his spring workouts are an indicator of his upside. 

"He doesn't feel like a freshman right now,” Sarkisian said of the 6-foot-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.”

Baxter, a native of Florida, started three seasons at Edgewater High School in Orlando. He runs with vengeance. With power. With a mission on his mind. 

The end goal? The end zone. But Sarkisian putting an emphasis on mentioning his grades and winter condition work might provide a sense of maturation. Most freshmen struggle early adjusting to a new life away from scheduled programming in high school, though it seems to be far from a problem for Baxter.

A potent run game is essential to Texas' success. Sarkisian mentioned his consistency on the ground, highlighting the fact that his offense has always featured a 1,000-yard rusher. And he's not wrong. In the past four seasons, Robinson and current Pittsburgh Steelers star Najee Harris each totaled the 1K marker twice at Texas and Alabama, respectively. 

Last season, Johnson finished with 564 yards, but averaged 6.0 yards per attempt. In his two seasons at Alabama as offensive coordinator, Sarkisian's run game ranked top-30 in rushing touchdowns and top-15 in total yards both in 2019 and 2020. 

"At the end of the day, somebody is going to carry that ball, and the team is going to believe in that guy to carry the ball," Sarkisian said. 

Baxter's maturity has paid off in the short term. During Monday's first spring practice, the freshman worked drills with the first-team offense due to the absence of both Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson. Brooks, a 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore, looks to be the front-runner to take over as Robinson’s heir after averaging 6.6 yards per run on 30 attempts and scoring five touchdowns. 

Brooks is still recovering from off-season surgery, meaning the rep count will expand for Baxter. And while Sark might be impressed after recruiting him away from Sunshine State schools, veterans on the roster see a resemblance of a running back that ran away with the hardware last season behind a stout offensive line. 

"He's a natural runner," sixth-year offensive lineman Christian Jones said of Baxter Wednesday. "Very fast. He's kind of a one-cut-back from what I've seen. He's got a whole lot of ability and a whole lot more potential."

The Longhorns concluded the third practice Friday morning and will take the next week-and-a-half off for spring break. Sarkisian didn't specify a return date for Brooks and Robinson, so there's a chance that both could be taking reps when players return from a well-deserved rest. 

Then again, Sarkisian has always been open to "competition" on his roster. Baxter's competing for reps early in his career and not looking to avoid the pine in Year 1. 

Could a week with the starters be enough to keep him as "King of the Hill?"

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