On300 No. 1 RB Cedric Baxter Jr. down to five

Four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr. (of Orlando Fla.) Edgewater High has narrowed his list to five schools—Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, and Arkansas.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder went in-depth on his finalists.

Texas

“I have a great relationship with coach Choice (running back coach),” Baxter said. “He’s been recruiting me since he was at Georgia Tech and never stopped. Their system is really productive and is my type of style.”

Texas A&M

“I grew up an FSU fan when coach Fisher was the head coach, so I’ve been watching him since I can remember,” Baxter said. “He’s an offensive brainiac and his system is very effective. Also, coach T Rob has been recruiting me for a while, and I’ve built a great bond with him.”

Florida

“UF probably has one of the coolest staffs, they’re real and genuine people,” Baxter said. “Coach Napier and Juluke have been on my trail since they’ve got there, and their system is guaranteed to use 3 backs, which is good because it doesn’t take a toll on your body.”

Miami

“Coach Cristobal is an O-line coach, which means he’s going to run the ball,” Baxter said. “Miami’s whole approach is to run the ball and I saw that with the spring game. Coach Kevin Smith has played at the highest level and has done it and was good at it. He’s a real dude and you can tell he wants what’s best for me.”

Arkansas

“Just like coach Cristobal, coach Pittman is an O-line coach, so that means he wants to run the ball,” Baxter said. “A lot of people ask me ‘why Arkansas’, they led the SEC in rushing, and they were up there in rushing in all of power 5. Coach Jimmy Smith is a great coach and he’s a genuine person.”

Cedric Baxter Jr. ranks as the No. 36 player in the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that accounts for all four major recruiting sites. He also tabs in as the No.3 running back and the ninth-best player in the state of Florida.

Baxter Jr. ranks the No. 1 RB in the nation according to the On300.

Baxter Scouting Summary

Big-framed runner with home run ability. Went from a versatile athlete to a bell-cow back in his junior season. Has the largest frame of top running backs in the 2023 cycle, checking in at over 6-foot-1 and around 205 pounds prior to his senior season. Gets downhill quickly. Shows the ability to make cuts at full speed in tight quarters. Efficient in his cuts with little wasted movement. Has the stride and on-field play speed to pull away once in the open field. Received a heavy workload as a junior. Capable of running with power and has shown signs of a dangerous stiff arm. Productive in Florida’s top classification as a junior, rushing for 1,651 yards and 22 touchdowns. Draws on his background as a wide receiver as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. A natural pass catcher with quickness in his routes. Among the better pass-catching running backs in the 2023 cycle.