Former Texas Longhorns RB Jonathon Brooks Expected to Make NFL Debut

Former Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks has been recovering from the torn ACL that he suffered against TCU last season.

Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) walks off the field after the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It has been a long road of recovery for former Texas Longhorns runnnig back Jonathon Brooks.

After suffering a torn ACL on Nov. 11 last year in a game against TCU, Brooks left Texas, got drafted by the Carolina Panthers, and is now prepping for his first NFL snap that is expected to come next week against the New York Giants, according to ESPN's David Newton.

The Texas star was on the road to becoming a potential suitor for the Doak Walker Award before the injury. In his final season with Texas after taking over the starting duties at running back, Brooks amassed an impressive 1,137 yards on the ground on just 187 carries. He also had 10 touchdowns on the ground in the 10 games he played in.

The running back played like a receiver at times, too. Brooks was fifth on the team in receiving yards (286) by the end of the season and added another touchdown through the air. Despite not finsishing the season healthy, Brooks still contributed to 11 total touchdowns which was tied for first on the team with Adonai Mitchell.

The potential to be as dangerous as he was in college helped Brooks get drafted top of his class. He was the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft when the Panthers called his name at the 46th pick in the second round.

At first, Panthers head coach Dave Canales believed Brooks would be ready by Week 3 or 4, but the recovery has taken some extra time with the Panthers not contending at 2-7 this season. They have been sided with caution to make sure the rookie can have a long career for Carolina.

"We gotta look at him the full week," Canales said of Brooks Wednesday. "Jonathon first. Thinking about him, making sure that he's confident and ready to go."

If the report on Brooks is correct and he will be active for the Panthers, the rookie will make his NFL debut against the New York Giants in Munich, Germany on Sunday.

The game will kickoff at 8:30 a.m. CT on the NFL Network.

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