Several Longhorns are close to significant statistical milestones

Beginning in 2002, the NCAA included statistics recorded in postseason bowl games as part of a player’s season-long total. Thanks to a 13th game provided by the Big 12 Championship, a 14th opportunity created as a result of Texas making the College Football Playoff, and the potential of a 15th game should the Longhorns reach the national championship, a number of Longhorns have the chance to reach some impressive statistical milestones.

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Xavier Worthy

During his freshman season in 2021, Xavier Worthy finished just 19 yards short of 1000 during the Longhorn’s 12-game campaign. This year after 13 games, Worthy sits at 969 receiving yards and needs 31 to record the 11th 1000-yard season in school history.

Thanks to his 35 rushing yards, Worthy has tallied 1004 all-purpose yards in 2023. Plus, he’s returned 20 punts for 358 yards and a score this year, statistics that earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors as a punt/kick returner.

Likely heading to the NFL after this season, Worthy just needs one more big play to add to his legacy as one of the best Longhorn receivers.

Quinn Ewers

In the long history of Texas football, there have only been nine seasons where a quarterback has passed for over 3000 yards. Quinn Ewers has one of those this year, as he’s 248-for-351 for 3161 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. Those numbers were accumulated across 11 games, as Ewers missed the last quarter versus Houston and contests against Kansas State and BYU due to a shoulder injury.

Of those nine seasons, only three — Colt McCoy’s 2008 and 2009 and Sam Ehlinger’s 2019 — have eclipsed the 3500-yard mark. With 339 yards, Ewers can join their company. That stands as an attainable figure considering Ewers threw for 369 yards against the Huskies in the Alamo Bowl last year, and Washington returns many of the same contributors that took the field in San Antonio in 2022.

Jaylan Ford

After 13 games, Texas’ man in the middle in Ford has 91 total tackles. Just nine more tackles will put him over the century mark for total tackles for the second time in his career, joining his 119-tackle performance in 2022.

While Ford isn’t close to the top of any Longhorn career leaderboards for tackles, he could move up and equal an all-time great in Tommy Nobis should he grab another interception. It would be Ford’s 7th, tying him for third with the great No. 60 among linebackers in career interceptions.

Anthony Hill

Anthony Hill has evolved from a situational player backing up David Gbenda at one of the two middle linebacker spots to become an impact player and starter. In the process, he’s racked up 5.0 sacks with many of them in critical situations.

Those 5.0 sacks are fourth among freshman in school history. Half a sack would tie Hill with Marcus Tubbs in third, who recorded 5.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2000. Moving into second would be a formidable task, as Tony Brackens tallied 10 sacks as a freshman in 1993.

CJ Baxter

Baxter was the first true freshman running back to start the Longhorns’ season opener since Ricky Williams in 1998. The last to do it before Williams? Earl Campbell in 1974.

Baxter’s freshman season looks a little different than those of the two Texas Heisman Trophy winners. He was behind Jonathon Brooks for much of the season, and as a result wasn’t afforded the opportunity to rack up 900+ rushing yards like Williams and Campbell did.

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However, Baxter currently sits at 595 rushing yards, which currently stands No. 14 for freshman in Texas history. Fifty-four yards would move him past Lam Jones and Roschon Johnson. To reach the top 10, he’d need 109 yards to move past Bijan Robinson’s stellar freshman season in 2020.