Texas Longhorns RB Christian Clark to Miss 2024 Season With Torn Achilles

Texas Longhorns football has been deal another brutal blow at the running back position.

Texas Longhorns running back Christian Clark during football spring practice at the Frank Denius practice fields in Austin, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns running back room has been hit with the injury bug once again as the regular season approaches.

Texas Athletics confirmed Tuesday that freshman running back Christian Clark suffered a torn Achilles during Monday's practice and will miss the entire 2024 season.

"Texas freshman running back Christian Clark sustained a torn Achilles tendon in practice on Monday, will undergo surgery and be out for the season," the team said in a statement.

Texas Longhorns running back Christian Clark during football spring practice at the Frank Denius practice fields in Austin, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas has already lost sophomore running back CJ Baxter for the season and will now have to rely on a three-man group of Jaydon Blue, Tre Wisner and Jerrick Gibson with Clark now out. The Longhorns have also been giving select players backfield reps during practice to see if anything clicks.

“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,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday when speaking to the media. " ... 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 runner, but how does that impact us at other positions if we take a player.”

Clark, a three-star recruit in the 2024 class, picked Texas over some elite programs, including Georgia, Florida State, Alabama and Oregon. He pointed toward his chemistry with Sarkisian and running backs coach Tashard Choice as a major reason for his decision.

"I have developed a great relationship with Coach Choice, Coach Sark, and the rest of the UT staff,"Clark told On3 during his recruiting process."Their plan for me is to develop me into the best person I can be off and the on the field. The offense they run will allow me to showcase my versatility with being able to catch the ball out the backfield, slot, and of course run the football."

During his senior year last season, Clark finished with 135 carries for 801 yards and six touchdowns while adding 12 catches for 144 receiving yards. From 2021 to 2023, he tallied 318 rushes for 1,890 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 54 catches for 553 yards and five more scores.