Skip to main content
texas logo

Tashard Choice's top moments at Texas

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•about 9 hours•

josephcook89

On3 image
Tashard Choice with Keilan Robinson and Bijan Robinson (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Former Texas running backs coach Tashard Choice is off to the NFL to be part of Dan Campbell‘s staff with the Detroit Lions. Though three seasons doesn’t seem like a long time for one of the most beloved assistant coaches in recent memory, there were several fantastic moments that were possible thanks to Choice.

[BOOKMARK: Check Inside Texas daily for FREE Texas Longhorns content]

Here are Choice’s top five moments during his time as a Longhorn.

No. 5 – Texas runs for 292 yards and four touchdowns versus Clemson in the College Football Playoff

There were other games, three to be exact, when Texas rushed for more than 300 yards during Choice’s time at Texas. Those other three games were against Kansas, Texas Tech, and Kansas again. But even though the Longhorns didn’t get to three bills versus Clemson, the stakes in the contest where Texas logged 48 carries for 292 yards and four touchdowns were far higher.

Thanks to a 110-yard day from Quintrevion Wisner and a 146-yard outing from Jaydon Blue, the Longhorns ran past the Tigers on their way to the quarterfinal round of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Each back, players who were not expected to be bell cow rushers for a playoff team, scored two touchdowns. Texas advanced thanks to a Choice-guided run game.

No. 4 – CJ Baxter commits to Texas

Baxter’s first offer wasn’t from Choice when he was at Georgia Tech, but the relationship created from that May 7, 2020 scholarship was key. Choice stayed on Baxter after he arrived in Austin, and continued to build the strong relationship just ahead of Bijan Robinson‘s epic 2022 season. Choice earned his first five-star commitment from Baxter in August of 2022, and despite some flirtations with other schools, Baxter signed with the Longhorns thanks to a significant effort from Choice.

No. 3 – The weekly pregame camaraderie

From the moment he arrived on campus to his February departure, Choice worked hard to be a mentor to every member of his running backs room. The above video is from Texas’ matchup with Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, but it was a regular feature prior to games during Choice’s time in Austin. Whether it was an All-American like Robinson, a team leader like Roschon Johnson, or a walk-on like Colin Page, Choice provided leadership and served as a tough but loving coach to all his backs.

No. 2 – Jonathon Brooks eclipses 1000 yards in 2023

When Robinson and Johnson left for the NFL after the 2022 season, there was a notion that Baxter was going to be the main back for the Longhorns. And to start the 2023 campaign, that was the case. Baxter was the starter for the season opener versus Rice and again at Alabama. But bumps and bruises suffered by Baxter opened up an opportunity for Brooks, and he made the most of it on his way to a 1000-yard campaign.

His season would come to an unfortunate end at TCU. Brooks tore his ACL on the final carry of a 21 rush, 104 yard, two touchdown performance. However, that would not be his last play, as Brooks was on the field when Texas knelt out the clock in the 2023 Big 12 Championship. Brooks went from backup to the first running back taken in the 2024 NFL Draft thanks in large part to Choice’s coaching efforts.

No. 1 – Bijan Robinson wins the 2022 Doak Walker Award

There are a lot of players who will make any coach look good, but ask Robinson and he’d tell you that he wouldn’t have looked good if he didn’t have Choice. Robinson rushed for a career high 1580 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022, earning unanimous All-American honors and even finishing ninth in Heisman voting. He earned his place among the best running backs in the history of the school, and his 2022 campaign earned the prestigious Doak Walker Award.

You may also like