The Texas Longhorns' offense suffered a major blow on Tuesday when starting running back CJ Baxter suffered a knee injury during practice.
Anwar Richardson of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Baxter suffered a tear in both his PCL and LCL and is expected to undergo surgery. His recovery is anticipated to take anywhere from six to nine months. As such, the sophomore running back is set to miss the entire 2024 season.
Baxter saw plenty of game action in 2023 as a true freshman, having swiftly worked his way up the depth chart. Across 13 games, Baxter toted the ball 138 times for 659 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 24 receptions for 156 yards. He was expected to feature prominently in coach Steve Sarkisian's offense.
With Baxter unavailable, junior Jaydon Blue and sophomore Quintrevion Wisner will look to compete for the No. 1 spot in the backfield. Blue carried 65 times last year for 398 yards and three touchdowns. Wisner had 73 yards on 12 carries with one touchdown during his freshman campaign.
With the Longhorns making the move to the SEC and set to face some of the nation's most stalwart defenses, the loss of Baxter will certainly be felt by Texas.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Texas RB CJ Baxter Expected to Miss 2024 Season Due to Knee Injury.
