Longhorns RB Cedric Baxter Jr. Ready to 'Fill Shoes' of Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson
The Texas Longhorns struggled mightily on the ground in Thursday's 27-20 loss to the Washington Huskies at the Alamo Bowl.
Running backs Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson combined for just 45 rushing yards while quarterback Quinn Ewers had the longest run of the day for Texas at 13 yards.
The team was clearly missing Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson in the backfield. But luckily for Texas, securing an official signature from 2023 Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.) running back Cedric Baxter Jr. during Early Signing Day on Dec. 21 helped solidify a promising future for a running back room that had been seen as one of the best in the country this season.
Baxter Jr. is arguably the best running back in the class, but the idea that he could arrive as a freshman and produce similar numbers to the Doak Walker-winning Robinson is a bit of a stretch since he has yet to play a single collegiate game.
Still, he's ready to step in and take over after Robinson's departure right away, regardless of what the expectation is. He admitted that seeing Robinson and Johnson leave the program to pursue an NFL career was a contributing factor to a decision that went all the way up to Early Signing Day.
"That was definitely a big part of my decision," Baxter Jr. said. "They feel like I can come in and fill those shoes, so that's what I'm looking forward to doing."
Had Robinson stayed for another year, it's possible Baxter Jr. would've chosen to stay in his home state and play for his "dream" school at Florida State. He admitted that he went back and forth with the decision before telling the Seminoles on Early Signing Day that he'd be going to Austin.
"I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't think about it," he said. "Cause I grew up a Florida State fan. That's been my dream to play there. I just think right now, at my point in life, that's not the place for me to be. Texas is where I want to be, so that's why I stuck with Texas."
The Seminoles finished this season with a 10-3 record and certainly presented themselves as an appetizing option for Baxter Jr.
"It was literally in the back of my head the whole time, I'm not gonna lie to you," he said.
But now that he's officially a Longhorn, Texas fans can breathe easier about the future with Baxter Jr. despite some of the bleak looks the loss at the Alamo Bowl provided.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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