Cedric Baxter Jr. commits to the Texas Longhorns

Cedric Baxter Jr., On3’s No. 1-ranked 2023 running back, has committed to the Texas Longhorns. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound versatile running back from the Sunshine State picked the Longhorns over Florida, Miami, Texas A&M and Alabama.

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Baxter Jr. and Texas became a possibility when Tashard Choice was hired by Steve Sarkisian as the running backs coach for the Longhorns.

BREAKING: Texas lands Cedric Baxter! | Texas Longhorns | Recruiting | On Texas Football
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The No. 28 prospect in the 2023 On300 made an official visit to Texas on June 10, and gave the visit a perfect ten.

Baxter followed up the Texas official visit with a visit to Florida. The Gators, Miami and Texas A&M hosted Baxter for unofficial visits at various times, but Texas received the lone official visit prior to a decision.

Tashard Choice the difference for the Longhorns

Dating back to when Choice was hired, Baxter began being mentioned on Inside Texas as a potential target for the Longhorns. What was not known at that time was just how tight the bond was between Baxter and the Texas running backs coach.

Baxter told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons in April just how much trust there is between the two.

“It is really about coach Choice with Texas,” Baxter said. “We have a great relationship. He is one of my favorite coaches. He is very relatable, he is genuine, and he is so easy to trust and talk to. Then, coach Choice played the position, he knows about running backs, and he would be great to play for. Coach Sark runs a great offense too. It is balanced, it is more pro-style, and I think I could do well in it.”

On3 Scouting report on Cedric Baxter Jr.

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.

Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook

Strengths: Tall, upright runner with a long stride. Already good sized but could add another 10-15 lbs. Runs out of an upright stance (see Nick Chubb) with good balance and sure first steps. Acceleration above average. Top end speed appears average to above-average for the position. Very effective lateral movement and change of direction with very effective shimmy and even a jump-cut at times. Keeps good speed with change of direction. Very good vision. Patient and lets his blocking develop. Will run his track precisely inside or out and ride tight on his blocker’s hip. Hits the inside hole fast and keeps his feet out of the trash. Fends off arm tackles with ease and keeps legs moving on contact.  Lowers the shoulder for extra yards and competes. Shows a decent stiff arm. Ball looks secure as he runs and changes direction.  Shows at least a few catches in screens and check downs. Opponent film is also flattering (for example – he’ll run the scramble drill for his QB).

Areas for Improvement: Pass blocking is a general unknown. Diversity in pass game is currently limited on tape. Not clear how his straight-line speed translates to college. Playing weight is probably a little more important here – does he stay at 215 or does he go for 225-230? Is there a trade-off in speed or agility?

Baxter Jr. is the 22nd commit in Texas’ 2023 class.