Nick Saban Says Texas Had ‘Best Running Back He Saw’ Last Season

Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter caught the eye of former Alabama coach Nick Saban last season.

Matt Galatzan | Jul 30, 2024

Sep. 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter (4) runs the ball during the game against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 9, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez-USA TODAY NETWORK / Austin American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Texas Longhorns

After a five-yard rushing touchdown from Jonathon Brooks, the Texas Longhorns took a double-digit lead and never looked back in last season’s signature 34-24 road win over Alabama.

Though Brooks would go on to be a second-round draft pick this past April, former Alabama coach Nick Saban had his eyes on another member of Texas’ backfield during that game and beyond.

While interviewing Texas coach Steve Sarkisian on SEC Now at SEC Media Days, Saban admitted that Longhorns running back CJ Baxter was the best he saw at that position in college football last season.

Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter (4) carries the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m gonna alleviate some of your concerns because I know you’ve got seven wideouts that all can play,” Saban told Sarkisian, per On3. “I know you’ve got three quarterbacks that all can play. Baxter was the best running back I saw of any team, so you’re gonna be able to run the ball.

When the Longhorns played Alabama in Week 2, Baxter had 11 carries for 31 yards and four catches for 21 yards despite not being at 100 percent after suffering an injury in the season-opening win over Rice. He would end up missing Week 3’s game against Wyoming but played a key role for the remainder of his freshman season.

After Brooks went down with a season-ending ACL tear in the win over TCU, Baxter and Jaydon Blue formed a solid one-two punch for the rest of the campaign as the Longhorns made their way to the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff.

Baxter wrapped up his first season in Austin with 138 carries for 659 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 24 receptions for 156 yards.

Texas opens up the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 at home against Colorado State.

Published Jul 30, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.