Steve Sarkisian addresses CJ Baxter's season-ending injury, expects him back in 2025

The Texas football team suffered a major blow this week when star running back CJ Baxter was injured during practice, an injury that will force him to miss the entire 2024 season.

Baxter suffered a torn LCL/PCL in his knee, an injury that will require surgery and keep him out for about six to nine months.

“Obviously we got some unfortunate news coming out of practice the other day with Cedric Baxter being lost for the season,” coach Steve Sarkisian said on Thursday. “I hate it for the kid. The same way I talked about Liona Lefau the other day, if you polled our team who the top three teammates on our team, Cedric Baxter would be in that top one, two or three as well.”

CJ Baxter ran for 659 yards and five touchdowns last season, while also catching 24 passes for 156 yards. He was widely expected to be the top replacement for departed star Jonathon Brooks.

But as much as the production he provides, Baxter will be missed for the intangibles, too.

“As much as we love him for the player that he is, we love him more for the teammate that he is,” Sarkisian said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him. We’re encouraged by all the doctors that he’s going to make a really healthy recovery and we’ll have him back for next season.”

With that in mind, Texas now turns its focus forward. It won’t be easy to replace CJ Baxter.

But there are some quality options, starting with junior Jaydon Blue. Blue logged 398 yards and three touchdowns rushing last season, while also catching 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.

You can also throw in Tre Wisner, who tallied 73 yards rushing and a touchdown last season. Then there are talented freshmen Jerrick Gibson and Christian Clark, a pair of four-star prospects.

“From our perspective we’ll be OK,” Sarkisian said. “Naturally we’re going to have to make some adjustments, like anything. Any time you lose a player you’ve got to make some adjustments, but I think that’s the value of trying to recruit and recruit at a high level and the way we practice with the way that we do, a lot of our two spots, a lot of our guys are getting reps. So we’re plenty deep enough to still be a very good football team.”

Still, the loss of CJ Baxter will sting.

“Again, we would love to have him, but that’s the nature of football,” Sarkisian said. “You have to be able to withstand and deal with injuries, whenever they present themselves, whether they’re in training camp or whether they’re late in the season, potential playoff injuries and such. That’s why you have to develop your entire roster, and I think our staff’s doing a really good job of that right now.”