Nation's No. 1 RB Cedric Baxter Jr. names final 4, sets commitment date

The nation’s No. 1 running back Cedric Baxter Jr. has narrowed his list to four schools—Miami, Florida, Texas, and Texas A&M.

The 6-foot-2, 215 pounder will announce his college decision on August 10th.

Baxter went in depth on his finalists.

Miami 

“Coach Cristobal and coach Kevin Smith have been recruiting me extremely hard since they’ve got there,” Baxter said. “The whole new staff definitely wants to win and win now, they had the best practice that I have seen so far, very intense. I love that coach Cristobal is an O-line head coach, that means he wants to run the ball.” 

Florida

“Coach Napier and Juluke want me bad,” Baxter said. “They feel like I can be a program changer. I love how they rotate their backs, and don’t put wear and tear on your body. They want to win as well. The whole staff is genuine people and don’t fake it.”

Texas 

“Coach Sark and coach Choice are the ones recruiting me,” Baxter said. “They both are great people outside of coaching. I love the whole staff there and when I visited it was great vibes all across.”

Texas A&M

“Coach Fisher and Trob’s track records speak for themselves,” Baxter said. “Coach Fisher coached all the backs I idolized , Dalvin Cook, James Wilder, Karlos Williams, Devontae Freemen, etc. Being able to play in that offense would mean a lot and I’ll be able to excel in it. Also they are on the rise.”

Cedric Baxter Jr. Scouting Summary

“Big-framed runner with home run ability,” On3’s Director of Scouting Charles Power wrote. “Went from a versatile athlete to a bell cow back in his junior season. Has the largest frame of top running backs in the 2023 cycle, checking in at over 6-foot-1 and around 205 pounds prior to his senior season. Gets downhill quickly. Shows the ability to make cuts at full speed in tight quarters. Efficient in his cuts with little wasted movement. Has the stride and on-field play speed to pull away once in the open field. Received a heavy workload as a junior. Capable of running with power and has shown signs of a dangerous stiff arm.”

“Productive in Florida’s top classification as a junior, rushing for 1,651 yards and 22 touchdowns. Draws on his background as a wide receiver as a pass catcher out of the backfield. A natural pass catcher with quickness in his routes. Among the better pass-catching running backs in the 2023 cycle.”

Baxter ranks as the No. 30 player in the On300 rankings. He also tabs in as the top running back, and the No. 7 player in the state of Florida.