On Texas Football: Spring running backs preview and discussion
Inside Texas’ Bobby Burton and Joe Cook continue the pre-spring look at every position on the Texas Longhorns football roster with a discussion about Tashard Choice’s running backs. The two look at lost production, new additions to the room, and more.
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In this episode, Joe and Bobby discuss:
- The Longhorns are adding several players to the running backs room this spring in five-star early-enrollee Cedric Baxter and wide-receiver-turned-running-back Savion Red. Regarding Baxter, Joe mentions the Orlando (Fla.) native flew over a lot of other Power 5 schools to get to Austin. One area Joe identifies as an area for Baxter to improve on is zone running.
- “If you go and watch, whether it be his own highlight tape at Edgewater High School in Orlando, even some teammates like his quarterback or maybe some of the offensive linemen on his team, it’s all gap scheme runs,” Cook said. “There’s a handful of inside zone or maybe outside zone, but every other time there’s a lineman pulling around giving Baxter a target to follow.” Steve Sarkisian runs several different run schemes, including a significant amount of zone blocking plays.
- The two then discuss Savion Red’s move from receiver to RB. “It’s not a haphazard move by the Longhorns,” Burton said. “Red played quarterback, running back, and wide receiver in his high school days. He’s 5-foot-9, 5-foot-10, about 210 pounds, and he may profile more to running back than receiver where he caught six balls for 34 yards and played in nine games this year.”
- After Red, Bobby and Joe dive into lost production from Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. Not only are the Longhorns losing key leaders, but also almost 90 percent of the rushing yardage from last season. “Those guys are going to be sorely missed as much for what they could do in the backfield as for their leadership,” Burton said.
- After that, the two look at who remains in Choice’s room. In addition to Baxter and Red, players like Jonathon Brooks, Keilan Robinson, and Jaydon Blue remain. Baxter is coming off of hernia surgery and a quality second year at Texas. Robinson is mostly used as a gadget back but the two wonder if his role expands. Blue saw a handful of snaps last year, but in a limited number.
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