When it comes to pass protection from running backs, the Longhorns have taken a step back
Last season while rushing for over 1000 yards on the way to a second round selection, Jonathon Brooks was one of the better pass protectors in the country. Pro Football Focus counted 51 pass-blocking snaps for Brooks last year and he earned a pass-blocking grade of 77.0 without a single pressure counted against him.
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Even when Brooks went down, CJ Baxter posted a respectable grade of 62.6 across his freshman season. In 37 pass-blocking opportunities, Baxter allowed just three pressures. Only one pressure was ascribed to Baxter following Brooks’ injury and it occurred in the Iowa State game. He posted pass-blocking grades of 73.6, 85.0, and 79.0 across the Longhorns’ final three games versus Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Washington.
Brooks is now in the NFL and Baxter was lost for the season to injury in preseason camp. Texas has been able to accumulate rushing yards in the aggregate, but the same cannot be said of pass-blocking ability.
That’s not to say Texas is without a single quality pass-blocker at the running back position. Jaydon Blue currently has a grade of 73.9 for the season and posted a decent 64.5 mark against Georgia according to PFF. He has not been assessed a pressure allowed this year, and that 73.9 season-long grade is a small improvement over the 71.8 he had last year. He’s already had 18 pass blocking opportunities in 2024, six more than what he was asked to do in 2023.
That said, there were some instances against the Bulldogs where Blue cost his team and his quarterback hits. It’s also a better use of Blue’s strengths to put him out into a route as opposed to having him block.
But even more concerning for Texas is the other backs have not put on good pass-blocking performances. Quite the opposite, rather.
Quintrevion Wisner has stepped into the first-string running back role and has performed admirably on offense, amassing 330 yards and two touchdowns on 60 carries this season. But his efforts as a pass blocker have ben volatile to say the least. Wisner’s PFF grade pass-blocking is a paltry 35.4, anchored by sub-25.0 performances against the two toughest teams on the Longhorns’ schedule in Michigan and Georgia.
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Jerrick Gibson‘s usage has been limited since a UTSA game where he saw 26 snaps. The Longhorn coaching staff has barely trotted Gibson out over the past two games, with just five snaps against Oklahoma and none against Georgia.
Gibson only has two pass block reps this season, and he allowed a quarterback hit one one of them in the Louisiana-Monroe game. His snap count makes it clear that Texas coaches trust Gibson in certain situations, and ones where pass-blocking is required aren’t those situations.
Pass blocking has been a strength for the Longhorns for most of the season. Four of the five starters on the Texas O-line have PFF pass-blocking grades above 82.5. The lone outlier is Cameron Williams, whose grade is a solid 76.5. The O-line has only been assessed responsibility for three sacks, and that number includes sixth-man Cole Hutson.
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But protections often include six players with the back as the critical extra helper. Texas had to pass to get back into the Georgia game and the Longhorns’ lack of quality pass-blockers at the running back position was an issue that reared its ugly head over and over as Sarkisian tried to coordinate a comeback effort.
As Texas goes further into SEC play, the Longhorns prefer to find more balance on offense as Sarkisian has mentioned in the wake of his program’s loss to Georgia. Even so, when the time comes for his running backs to pass protect, he’ll be looking for more out of Blue, Wisner, and even Gibson.
