Four Texas players named to Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year watchlist
If you needed yet another sign of how talented Steve Sarkisian‘s 2023 recruiting class was, Texas’ four players on the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award watch list is more than any other school.
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Showing this award isn’t just going to talented freshman, but also players who are expected to contribute early, the four named are running back Cedric Baxter, linebacker Anthony Hill, cornerback Malik Muhammad, and wide receiver Johntay Cook.
If a Texas player were to win the award, the smart money would handicap them in that order, not necessarily because of talent, but because of opportunity.
Baxter, an On3 Industry Ranking five-star, will likely log more carries than any other Texas running back this year. That alone would make him a front-runner for the award, but factor in the complement of weapons Texas has, and the big runner with plus-speed should find room to operate.
Hill, also an On3 Industry Ranking five-star, may not start at linebacker but because of his expected role this season, he may have an outsized impact on games. Hill is one of the better pass rushers on the Texas roster and that’s one aspect of the defense that needs to improve. Again, opportunity.
Muhammad and Cook, both highly rated four-stars, have incumbent starters in front of them. In Muhammad’s case it’s cornerback Ryan Watts; in Cook’s case it’s Xavier Worthy with Isaiah Neyor also capable of playing the position. However, both DFW natives will play a lot this season.
A couple of interesting notes, after quarterback Arch Manning, these were the four most highly rated players in Texas’ class. Rankings matter.
Another interesting aspect, in many ways these guys mirror each other. The comparison has been made that Hill is the linebacker version of Baxter with their size, ability to move, and physical and mental readiness. For those reasons, the same can be said of Muhammad and Cook.
Texas didn’t just hit on raw talent in the 2023 class, it hit on players with winning pedigrees and high football character. These are just four examples, there are many more.
