Running back CJ Baxter and the No. 8-ranked Texas Longhorns are not off to the start to the season they had hoped for. While a loss to Ohio State in Week 1 was not the end of the world, the team has not looked as good as fans expected despite winning its past two games.
To make matters worse, Baxter suffered a hamstring injury early in the team’s 27-10 win over UTEP last week. He is now expected to miss the team’s Week 4 matchup against Sam Houston.
On Monday, following the team’s win over UTEP, head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke with the media. He indicated that Baxter suffered an injury in the first play of the game, and while it is not severe, the team is going to keep him out of the game against Sam Houston for precautionary reasons. The purpose is to ensure he is ready for conference play and more challenging matchups.
“On an injury note, obviously Cedric got hurt the first play of the game,” Steve Sarkisian said. “Hamstring injury. We don’t think it’s overly significant, but he’ll be out this week from a precautionary standpoint to hopefully get him ready for SEC play.”
Steve Sarkisian said RB CJ Baxter (hamstring) will be out this week.
Cole Hutson, Kobe Black and Xavier Filsaime will all be questionable against Sam Houston State. #HookEm
— HornSports (@HornSports) September 15, 2025
Baxter recorded one carry for six yards before leaving the game against UTEP. In the previous two games against Ohio State and San Jose State, Baxter had a combined 23 carries for 104 yards. He has not recorded a touchdown yet this season.
CJ Baxter Has Dealt With Injuries Throughout His Career
While CJ Baxter has a lot of promise as a running back, he has not had the opportunity to show it at the college level. Last season, he tore his right LCL and PCL in fall camp, which forced him to miss the entire season. He did show flashes of his potential as a true freshman in 2023, but he was playing behind Jonathan Brooks that season.
With Baxter not available against Sam Houston, Jerrick Gibson and Quintrevion Wisner will likely get more snaps. The Longhorns will then be off in Week 5 before playing Florida in early October.
Read More:
- Texas Football Injury Update: Latest on CJ Baxter, Jonah Williams, and More
- Why Greg McElroy Doesn’t Think CJ Baxter is a Top 10 College Football Running Back Despite Texas’ Big Bets on Him
- Steve Sarkisian Breaks Down Texas’ Stacked 2025 Running Back Room
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