Texas Has Already Offered Its First Running Back of the Jabbar Juluke Era

The Texas Longhorns will have a new face on their sideline leading the running back room in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31: former Florida Gators running backs coach Jabbar Juluke.

Juluke was hired to give new life to a group that underperformed on several occasions in 2025, and it seems as though he’s already trying to do just that.

Just last week, the Longhorns extended their first running back offer in the Juluke era.

Texas high school standout receives offer from Longhorns

Texas Longhorns running backs coach Jabbar Juluk — Aug 30, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators associate head coach for running backs Jabbar Juluke walks on the field against the Long Island Sharks during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Three-star running back SaRod Baker, a junior at DeSoto High School, has over 20 offers to take his talents to the next level. As of Dec. 18, Texas accounts for one of those offers.

Baker has turned heads with his power and burst during the high school regular season and playoffs, accumulating 1,503 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns over the past five games. With his help, DeSoto claimed the Texas 6A Division 2 State Championship on Saturday against the Sheldon King Panthers.

247Sports ranks him as the No. 73 running back in the country and the No. 103 overall prospect in the state of Texas.

Given his statistics, the running back seems like a fairly safe choice as the first offeree under the leadership of Juluke. Juluke wouldn’t get the opportunity to coach Baker for another year, but building that next class is a crucial part of coaching at the collegiate level.

Baker still has plenty of time to continue proving his prowess and accumulating more offers, so it could be a little while before Texas hears a final decision from the recruit.

This could be the first of many offers for Juluke, who is likely familiar with many of the nation’s top prospects due to spending the past four seasons with the Gators. This means he is probably comfortable with recruiting within the conference, which could be beneficial for the Longhorns.

Additionally, Juluke coached high school football in Louisiana for a long time, giving him an advantage when it comes to recognizing high school talent.

What his first recruiting class will look like remains unknown, but for now, he will be taking on the talent that committed to Texas prior to his arrival. His most important job will be keeping prospects and fostering their growth upon their arrival on the Forty Acres.