Texas Longhorns' star running back, C.J. Baxter, is set to miss the upcoming season due to a knee injury, sources have confirmed. The former five-star recruit from Florida suffered the setback during a practice session on Tuesday. Baxter, who was projected to be the starting running back for the Longhorns, had an impressive freshman season, rushing for 659 yards and five touchdowns on 138 attempts. In addition to his ground game contributions, Baxter also caught 24 passes for 156 yards.

The news of Baxter's season-ending injury leaves the Longhorns without four of their top five rushers from the previous year. With Jonathon Brooks now in the NFL, and both Keilan Robinson and Savion Red no longer on the team, Texas will now turn to Jaydon Blue to shoulder the running back duties. Even before Baxter's injury, Blue was expected to receive a significant number of touches this season. A standout performer towards the end of the 2023 season, Blue averaged an impressive 6.1 yards per carry.

While Blue is a talented running back, the concern for Texas lies in their lack of depth at the position. Having only carried the ball 80 times in his collegiate career, the junior from Klein may struggle with the demands of being the sole workhorse. It is likely that he will need to share the workload with other backs. Tre Wisner, a former state champion at DeSoto, is expected to emerge as the second-string running back. Wisner possesses a versatile skill set and is considered a reliable player. Additionally, freshman Jerrick Gibson is set to see an increased role in the absence of Baxter.

Despite the setback, the Longhorns enter the 2024 season as the second-favorite team in the SEC behind Georgia. With Quinn Ewers returning as quarterback and four out of five starters along the offensive line, Texas has a strong foundation. The team has also strengthened their receiving corps with the addition of talented wide receiver Isaiah Bond from Alabama. However, the loss of Baxter does impact their offensive firepower, especially if unproven backs like Wisner and Gibson struggle to fill the void.

The Longhorns will kick off their season at home against Colorado State on August 31. Their second game will be a challenging road trip to face Michigan in Week 2. It will be interesting to see how Texas adapts to the absence of Baxter and how their running game fares in his absence.