Texas Longhorns Considering Moving Freshman WR To RB Amid Injury Concerns; Other Candidates?

The Texas Longhorns have had some bad luck in the injury department, and are now looking for a solution.

Texas White team wider receiver Ryan Niblett (18) celebrates making a catch for a first down in the second quarter of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, April 20, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas Longhorns lost starting running back CJ Baxter for the season last week when he tore the LCL and PCL in his right knee.

It was a major blow to the Longhorns, who came into the season with one of the top rated running back rooms in the nation.

However, the setbacks continued on Monday, with true freshman back Christian Clark also suffering what is reported to be a serious lower-leg injury.

As a result, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are in the process of looking move a player or players from different positions to the running back room.

“We’re looking at some different options, and I think we’re looking at it creatively, whether it’s a couple of guys on the offensive side of the ball, a potential player on the defensive side of the ball, or two, for that matter,” Sarkisian said Monday. " ... So we’re kind of taking it day by day again. We’ve got plenty of time. We’re just trying to get a sense and a feel of how, not only will they play on offense at the runner, but how does that impact us at other positions if we take a player.”

On Monday night, one of the candidates to replace Clark and Baxter was revealed, with Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods reporting that the staff is considering moving freshman receiver Ryan Niblett to running back.

Niblett came to the Longhorns as a four-star recruit in the 2023 class out of Aldine Eisenhower in Houston.

In his sophomore season was named the District 14-6A All-Purpose Player of the Year as a junior in 2021 after accumulating 42 passes for 759 yards and eight touchdowns, rushing for 469 yards and 14 touchdowns, and also getting into the endzone in the return game, defensively and as a quarterback

In his senior season, he earned an invite to the All-American Bowl after his senior campaign, catching 55 passes for 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 108.8 receiving yards per game.

Suffice it to say, Niblett has the skill set to be deployed from anywhere on the field and can be dangerous no matter how he gets the ball into his hands.

However, as Sarkisian said, there are also multiple other candidates that could be moved to the position as well, even if Niblett makes the transition.

The trio of Jaydon Blue, Tre Wisner, and Jerrick Gibson - and perhaps even walk-on Collin Page - is a talented one, but not exactly known for their power in the trenches either like Baxter and Clark are.

And if the Longhorns are looking for that trait, there are a few candidates who we believe could potentially be in consideration based on their high school resumés, though these names have not been confirmed.

First and foremost is linebacker Derion Gullette also played some offense in high school and was seen taking reps in the backfield at practice recently.

At Teague (Marlin, TX) the former four-star recruit did just about everything, starring at linebacker, and being named first-team 3A All-State as both a wide receiver and as a punter.

The Horns are deep enough at linebacker with Leona Lefau, Anthony Hill, David Gbenda, Tasuli Akana, Tyanthony Smith, and Morice Blackwell Jr. to spare some reps there, and he is as versatile an athlete as they come.

Also on that list is safety Jelani McDonald, who came to the Longhorns from Connally (Waco, TX) as a four-star recruit in the 2023 class, and the No. 5 athlete in the country. '

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald (25) celebrate a win over Baylor 38-6 of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Waco, Texas. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

At Connally, he played both sides of the ball and was named the 11-4A Division 2 offensive MVP after running the ball 77 times for 852 yards and nine touchdowns and posting four separate games of 100 yards rushing. He also completed 33 passes for 707 yards and 13 touchdowns,

The Longhorns are already at safety with Andrew Mukuba, Derek Williams Jr., Michael Taffee, and freshmen Xavier Filsaime and Jordon Johnson Rubell, as well as Jahdae Barron being able to play anywhere in the secondary.

Not to mention at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, McDonald could bring some power to the run game.

Another candidate on that list could be freshman linebacker TyAnthony Smith, who, like McDonald, played both sides of the ball in high school during his time at Jasper (TX).

In his senior season, the four-star recruit accumulated 337 all-purpose yards, including 243 rushing yards in a single game as a wildcat quarterback.

At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Smith's size, and hard-nosed mentality could be an asset to the running back room in short-yardage situations.

Then there is also versatile tight end Juan Davis, who rushed for 790 yards and 12 touchdowns on 107 carries as a senior quarterback in high school.

All that said, no matter who is moved to running back from either side of the ball is most likely going to be used sparingly or situationally, with Blue, Gibson, and Wisner carrying most of the load.