High 4-Star Recruit Might be in Wrong Position
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In yet another sign that things are changing in a positive way in Fayetteville, Razorback head coach Sam Pittman and his staff are currently in preparations to host Edgewater (Fla.) running back Cedric (CJ) Baxter next weekend, which puts the Hogs head-to-head with the elite of college football.
Baxter, who goes by the nickname "C4", which fans will recall was the nickname of famed Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs, recently told Sports Illustrated that he visits schools first, and if he has legitimate interest, he takes a second visit with his family. Following a successful visit during the Cookout at Arkansas last year, Baxter will now make Arkansas one of at least five schools to earn “family” status.
The others include Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and Miami.
At first glance, it’s hard to evaluate Baxter based on highlights from his junior season.
A key part of breaking down a running back is getting to see how he handles heavy traffic and good physical contact. That sort of footage is highly limited when it comes to Baxter's junior season.
Cedric Baxter Junior Season Highlights
Instead, we see great blocking, bad angles, and linebackers and defensive backs failing to fill gaps, square up and deliver a solid pop. When play after play is executed in a way where it’s easy to imagine any respectable running back plugged in achieving a similar result, figuring out what makes Baxter more special than other running backs is difficult.
One area where there is visible separation is in the receiving game.
Baxter has great hands out of the backfield. The ball is soft when it hits his hands, which makes it less likely to pop up and turn into an interception.
However, once again, we don’t see Baxter making catches with any sort of pressure around him. He is inexplicably alone in his junior highlights, which speaks highly of the Edgewater coaching staff, because there is no way that should ever happen.
There are two other things that stand out from this past year’s film – 1) Baxter is apparently deceptively fast. 2) He needs more discipline when it comes to finishing plays.
Razorback fans will find similarities in running style to Matt Jones and Darren McFadden. He stands tall when he runs and even though he appears to be pulling away from defenders, Baxter always looks like he's in slow motion.
However, with those of these traits being the case, the Orlando product had better be as special as each of those two athletes if he intends to play in the SEC. Otherwise, he's going to be at real risk of knee injuries and broken ribs.
While there don't appear to be just a ton of red flags when he's on the field, Baxter does have one troubling trait that will need to be coached out of him before arriving on a college campus. He has a habit of slowing down to, perhaps, take in the moment a few yards before actually scoring.
There are at least 10 instances in which he doesn't run through the goal line, which is a lot for a single season highlight reel. At least once a defender from behind should have knocked the ball out and prevented a touchdown, and at one point he eases up on a reception 10 yards from the end zone before realizing he still needs to run instead of jog because of the two defenders in front of him.
It's a sign his current coaches are either afraid to address with the legitimate threat of being pulled if it doesn't stop, or that he's no longer listening to his coaches.
Either way, it's not something college coaches will tolerate, and he will probably be watched by coaches at each school he visits more heavily to see whether this is the humble kid his coaches describe on camera who just needs more disciplined coaching, or whether he's already drinking his own Kool-Aid.
We finally see Baxter hit in the final few highlights. Nothing beyond ordinary as far as hits go, yet, he falls with unexpected ease for a back of his size, mostly due to his running style.
While the junior season highlights, complete with puppy emoticons popping up everywhere, leave part of the puzzle missing as to what makes Baxter a presumable can't-miss prospect, his sophomore highlights make it much easier to see why coaches began fawning over him and Florida State accepted him as such an early commit.
Here is where you see the makings of a future college star. This is where Baxter is tough and driven.
Cedric Baxter Sophomore Season Highlights
He's willing to run through, around, and over anyone and anything to get that extra yard. He snags difficult catches in traffic.
He's the hard-nosed clydesdale with unlimited potential. Everything about this version of Baxter feels real.
There is no text telling you to imagine what comes next is "Beast Mode." What is occurring on screen is actually what people have come to know as "Beast Mode" legitimately playing out.
This is a young man fighting for people to put respect on his name. There's a clear chip on his shoulder, and every yard he gains feels personal.
But, it's also here that you see what's been missing all along. On film, all the ingredients are there for a good running back, but, in addition, it's all there for a great safety.
Baxter started as a safety before being relied on more at running back, and the few highlights we get of him playing defense stand out. We already know he has good to great hands from two years worth of footage.
We know he has good size for a safety. He was 6-1, 215 his junior year.
But what we see on film from that sophomore year is a good feel for the ball in the passing game. We also see good form when it comes to making a clean hit that either negates a completion or stops the yardage gained where the catch was made.
He shows signs of being able to read run plays well, getting into position to seal off a lane quickly. It's especially impressive for a sophomore.
However, the trait that stands out the most is the fearlessness he shows. Baxter not only isn't afraid to get in and mix it up, his body language indicates a certain level of joy in dishing out punishment.
Defense is a mentality and the mentality appears to be there, which makes the implied insistence in only being recruited as a running back mildly perplexing.
Running backs are a dime a dozen. Their lives are short-lived in the NFL, and most never making it to their second contract where the big payday lies.
Yet, it almost feels like Baxter is trying to hide his prowess as a safety, hoping coaches won't be tempted to switch him once he's on campus. Quality safeties are hard to find and are greatly valued, both at the college level and the NFL draft.
With the limited film from the defensive side of the ball, it's hard to tell if there is a fatal flaw in his game that just can't be overcome that would keep Baxter from becoming the next Jalen Catalon. But if there's not, then Arkansas assistants Scott Fountain and Jimmy Smith are bound through duty to do all they can to call upon their personal experiences in the Florida-Georgia area to land Baxter.
If it turns out Baxter isn't the next great SEC safety drafted in the Top 10 of the NFL draft, then, worst-case scenario, he can be coached up into a really good to great SEC running back, and that's nothing to shake your head at either.
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