CJ Baxter couldn’t play for Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns in 2024 because of a season-ending injury he suffered before the start of the campaign. The last game in which Baxter took part was the Sugar Bowl CFP semifinal against Washington to end the 2023 season.
Baxter was expected to be the starter for the team in 2024, but a knee injury suffered in August during training camp forced him to watch from the sidelines.
During the SEC media days, Steve Sarkisian updated the media about CJ Baxter’s status:
“Yeah, you know I think CJ’s coming along. We had a nice visit here about two weeks ago of just kind of where he was at. And there’s always going to be days when you’re coming off of a significant injury like his where he feels great and he looks great and there’s other days where maybe he’s a little bit frustrated because he’s not quite where he wants to be yet. And that’s okay.”
“And like I told him, We got a long season to play and the last thing I want to do is throw him out there when he’s not all the way to where I know he mentally can play at an extremely high level, but he is exactly on track of where we would hope he would be right now. He’s doing everything we’re asking of him,” he added.
Sarkisian emphasized that he won’t bring Baxter into the field unless he’s absolutely certain that he’s ready. The 51-year-old said that the next step in Baxter’s recovery is to see how he performs during training camp.
Earlier in the year, Sarkisian told the press that they’re being extra careful with Baxter due to the ACL nature of his injury. According to him, a player can feel completely ready to go back onto the field and still be far from being done with recovery.
CJ Baxter hailed as one of the top RBs in the nation by an analyst
PFF College analyst Max Chadwick believes that the Texas Longhorns have the best running back duo in the nation. According to him, the mix of Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter is the best backfield room in the country:
“Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter form one of the best [running back] duos in the country,” PFF’s Max Chadwick said.
Texas’ RB Room is STACKED with a healthy Tre Wisner & CJ Baxter🤘 pic.twitter.com/Bi4UX5akVi
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 11, 2025
During his last season, CJ Baxter ran for 659 yards, with five touchdowns in 138 carries. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry.
Quintrevion Wisner had an even more amazing record in 2024, posting 1,064 rushing yards, with five touchdowns in 226 carries. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry. For his efforts, Wisner was named a Third Team All-SEC selection.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
