Analysis: Longhorns Commitment Cedric Baxter, Jr. Dominates In Season Opener vs. Don Bosco Prep
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For anyone that’s been fortunate enough to watch Texas Longhorns’ commitment Cedric Baxter, Jr. in pads on a Friday night, those individuals should consider themselves fortunate.
Not every high school football fan is lucky enough to see a high school player like him right in front of them, and that's what the Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater prospect brings to the gridiron each time he buckles his chinstrap.
Last season against Orlando (Fla.) Jones, Baxter rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns. That happened even though he missed the better part of a quarter while suffering from leg cramps. That was a great sign that Baxter was tough as nails as he kept coming back into the game despite not being 100%.
He’s not your typical high school football player. All attributes are there: power, size, speed, shiftiness, vision, and leadership among others. He still possesses another trait that gives him an additional edge, the one described above.
Toughness.
During the early portion of last Friday’s contest against traditional New Jersey prep power Don Bosco, Baxter was in a situation many players would not have played through.
He was met in the backfield during an A Gap blitz by an inside linebacker. As soon as Baxter took a step forward, he was literally speared in the head on this play:
After the play, he got up, went back to the huddle, and kept on playing like nothing happened. It’s one of the most incredible moments of fortitude any person will see on the gridiron. Ironically, Baxter actually played at a higher level after that play.
Baxter consistently banged on the Don Bosco defense for runs of four and five yards, and those yardage totals started to increase. Don Bosco’s defense was not quite as stable during the early portion of the third quarter as it was in the first and second quarter. Then, he took off for his first long run.
The run actually happened after he was hemmed into the right sideline, but Baxter quickly took one step left and then burst down that same sideline after finding a small gap in the defense. His vision and speed took over during that particular play and it was six points for Edgewater from a 55-yard touchdown run.
Each time Edgewater got the football back, Baxter hammered on the Don Bosco defense even more. Everyone knew he was the primary option and Don Bosco’s defense was getting tired of taking on the battering ram.
Then, the fourth quarter began. Edgewater’s offensive line and Baxter finished off Don Bosco after being backed up inside their own 10-yard line.
Standing on the left sideline hoping to get some video of Baxter during a long run, just waiting for him to break one like he always does, here came Baxter out of the pack running right at the camera. He found a way through and scored on this run:
It was a fitting end to a game that Baxter continuously impacted from the outset. Even during the first series of the game, a jet sweep for a touchdown by talented 2025 wide receiver Semaj Fleming in which he turned up the left sideline at the appropriate time, Baxter was keyed on by Don Bosco’s defense.
That slight hesitation by the Don Bosco front seven allowed Fleming’s speed to take over as soon as he turned the corner. From that point forward, Edgewater kept Don Bosco guessing for much of the evening.
Baxter’s power runs were mixed in with an occasional completion or handoff to another player besides Baxter, and the Edgewater offense kept on rolling. The final score showed Edgewater 34, Don Bosco 10.
Baxter rolled up a reported 274 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the game.
What will Baxter bring to the Forty Acres next season? All the talent the Texas coaching staff could want. More importantly, that’s one tough running back that keeps on competing no matter how much the other team keys on him.
Baxter is the real deal, and Texas is fortunate to be bringing him into its football program.
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