Texas Longhorns 'Have a Ton of Trust' in Freshman RB Jerrick Gibson

Texas Longhorns freshman running back Jerrick Gibson has seen his snaps decrease during SEC play despite an impressive start to the season.

Zach Dimmitt | Oct 29, 2024

Texas Longhorns running back Jerrick Gibson (9) runs the ball forward as the Texas Longhorns take on ULM at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns running back room has been a rollercoaster ride to keep up with over the past few months, which started at the end of training camp.

CJ Baxter and Christian Clark both suffered season-ending injuries in practice, opening up the door for Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner. The Longhorns also added SMU graduate transfer Velton Gardner and switched receiver Ryan Niblett to running back as a result.

Blue was seen as the no-doubt RB1, but out of nowhere, it was true freshman Jerrick Gibson that led the team in rushing after the first four games of the year with 42 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns.

However, Wisner has since cemented his role as the team's starting running back over Blue while Gibson has fallen out of the rotation a bit during the heart of SEC play. Against conference opponents, Gibson has tallied just six carries for 17 yards and one catch for eight yards.

Considering what he showed during the start of the season, many fans have wondered why there's been a decrease in snaps. Whether it's issues in pass protection, overall grasp of the offense or just a uptick in competition, it's unclear why Gibson hasn't been utilized as much as he was during non-conference play.

Regardless, he's still got a bright future ahead, something Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian touched on when speaking to the media Monday.

"I think at the end of the day, as competitors, they all want to play more and they all want more opportunities to play. Sometimes it's difficult," Sarkisian said. "In Jerrick Gibson's case, when you're the third running back and how a game and the flow of a game goes, sometimes you just don't get those carries that you would like. I think we have a ton of trust in Jerrick, and I think that he's a guy that will continue to grow in our program."

When Blue exited with an ankle injury against Michigan, Gibson stepped up in a big way and helped put together a game-defining second quarter for Texas. He punched in a seven-yard touchdown that capped off a 12-play, 76-yard drive that was almost exclusively on the ground. He finished the 31-12 win with 10 carries for 36 yards and the score, and would've been Texas' leading rusher that game if not for a 55-yard rush by freshman receiver Ryan Wingo.

The following week in the win over UTSA, Gibson rushed for a career-best 75 yards on a career-high 13 carries but also lost a fumble. Still, he finished as the team's leading rusher for the second time in three weeks.

Gibson's next chance to find his footing within the offense will come after the bye week when Texas hosts the Florida Gators on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. CT.