Texas Longhorns RB Declares for NFL Draft

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns continue to lose a notable number of players to the NFL Draft following the end of their season.

The latest player to throw his name into the mix is running back Velton Gardner, who made the announcement on Tuesday after just one season with Texas.

Gardner was a late addition to the team before the regular season following injuries to CJ Baxter and Christian Clark. However, Gardner eventually suffered his own season-ending injury after hurting his eye. He wore sunglasses many times after that on the sidelines or at practice.

Gardner finished his one year in Austin with just eight carries for 26 yards in appearances against Colorado State and UTSA. He had three carries for 11 yards in the season-opening win over the Rams before adding five carries for 15 yards against the Roadrunners.

He doesn't have too much film to show from his one season at Texas but flashed his ability at Kansas and SMU. During three seasons at Kansas and two at SMU, Gardner tallied 229 carries for 1,024 yards and six touchdowns while adding 22 catches for 73 receiving yards. With the Jayhawks in 2020, he posted a career-best 72 carries before finishing with a career-high 368 rushing yards two years later with the Mustangs. At SMU in 2022, Gardner had a career-high 100 yards rushing on 11 carries in a 45-16 win over Lamar.

He now joins a long list of Longhorns that have declared, including wide receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond, offensive linemen Jake Majors, Hayden Conner, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cameron Williams, tight end Gunnar Helm, running back Jaydon Blue, linebacker David Gbenda, defensive linemen Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton and Bill Norton, cornerback Gavin Holmes, safety Andrew Mukuba and linebacker Morice Blackwell Jr.

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