Texas Football Rewind: D.J. Monroe’s rushing efficiency was unreal

Looking back over an up and down run for the Texas football program since the turn of the century, former RB/KR D.J. Monroe was a real threat from 08-12.

Among the most versatile and explosive skill position weapons the Texas football program boasted within the last two decades, D.J. Monroe played on the Forty Acres from 2008-2012. He took a redshirt year following a true freshman campaign in 2008 where he only appeared in one game.

From then on out, the Texas Longhorns football program was able to use Monroe in a number of different facets on multiple sides of the ball to maximize that aforementioned versatility and explosiveness. Former Texas head coach Mack Brown was able to get the best out of Monroe when he actually had the ball in his hands, but he arguably should’ve been used more overall.

Before I get into the actual impact that Monroe had for the Longhorns on the field over the course of his collegiate career, let’s delve into where he came from out of high school.

Monroe was a native of Angleton, TX, and a product of Angleton High School. He stood at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds coming out of high school, and he ranked as the nation’s No. 185 2006 high school prospect and the No. 18 cornerback. He also ranked as the No. 26 prospect coming out of the state of Texas.

Over the course of his recruitment, other big time college football programs around the country like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Oklahoma State Cowboys all went after Monroe. He wound up committing to Texas in February of 2007. He would sign his National letter of Intent around one year later to be one of the more highly touted parts of a 2008 recruiting class that also included outside linebacker Emmanuel Acho and safety Blake Gideon.

Monroe himself was a hotly contest high school prospect during the 2008 recruiting cycle. He participated in the All-American Game and was on the Rivals Big 12 Signing Day Dream Team in 2008. That dream team also included the likes of Mizzou Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert and Colorado Buffaloes running back Darrell Scott.

Out of the gates, Monroe was hardly utilized on anything but special teams for the Longhorns. He only had one kick return for five yards throughout the entirety of his true freshman campaign, in 2008.

But he opened up the 2009 regular season with a bang as he housed a kickoff return for a touchdown. That was the first touchdown of his college career. Monroe added 64 rushing yards on nine touches in that win over the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.

And it wasn’t but three weeks later before Monroe would take back his second kick return for a touchdown. He only had one kick return in that win over the UTEP Miners during the 2009 season, but he took that back for a 91 yard touchdown.

The 2009 non-conference slate was just the beginning of Monroe’s insane explosiveness and efficiency when he had the ball in his hands, though. He would wind up averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 23 touches during his redshirt freshman season. Monroe also averaged 33.6 yards per kick return on 16 tries that same year, which is a pretty insane number.

Monroe would never averaged less than 20 yards per kick return during his four years as a special teams threat with the Longhorns.

The redshirt sophomore campaign for Monroe was where he really got off and running as a multiple skill position weapon for the Longhorns. He notched his first career rushing touchdown in the 2010 season, in a loss to the rival Oklahoma Sooners. Monroe racked up 65 rushing yards on four carries in that loss to Oklahoma.

The first rushing score of Monroe’s college career would come in the midst of a three-game stretch where he was electric when the ball was in his hands. He combined for 131 rushing yards on 11 carries in games against Oklahoma, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and UCLA Bruins. He would average more than 11 yards per carry and average more than 20 yards per kick return.

Unfortunately, the efficiency that Monroe used to help the Longhorns in that three-game stretch only amounted to one win. That was largely the story of the entire 2010 season on the Forty Acres, as that might be the most disappointing season in the last two decades for Texas.

Nonetheless, Texas would get an average of 8.5 yards per carry and nearly 200 total rushing yards out of Monroe during the fall of 2010.

Come the start of the 2011 season, Brown and the Longhorns extended the way in which they utilized the versatile skill set of Monroe even further. He registered eight catches for 70 yards as a redshirt junior. That helped him total 396 yards from scrimmage to go along with one touchdown. In somewhat of a bounce back season for the Longhorns, Monroe would set a career-high in total yards and still manage to average 6.8 yards per carry and more than seven yards per touch.

That production peaked in 2011 when the Longhorns fell short to eventual Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and the Baylor Bears, which saw Monroe average 9.6 yards per carry on eight touches. That was a season-high in rushing yards for Monroe in the loss to Baylor.

Moreover, Monroe tallied up a career-high in total touchdowns during his redshirt senior season as Texas was in the second to last year under Brown’s coaching tenure. He had three total touchdowns and slightly over 200 total yards. He also tied a career-high in yards per carry, at 8.5.

To add to what was already a very efficient senior season, Monroe notched his third career kick return for a touchdown. That helped him tally three special teams touchdowns in his collegiate career, and he finished up averaging around 25 yards per kick return.

As a wide receiver/running back, Monroe would finish up with slightly under 1,000 total yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns. He also averaged 7.4 yards per touch and 7.3 yards per carry.

While the total stat line for Monroe in his career with Texas isn’t even close to the best of any skill position player in the last two decades, he was one of the most efficient. Only former superstar Texas quarterback Vince Young had as many individual games as Monroe averaging six yards per carry (23). It is a shame that the 23 games Monroe averaged six yards per carry only resulted in a Longhorns record of 15-8, though.

The next best former Longhorn in individual games averaging six yards per carry or more was former star running back Jamaal Charles, with 17. Just for good measure, D’Onta Foreman only had 10 games like that and Cedric Benson only had 12.

It is important to note the efficiency with which Monroe was used, and how many facets he was able to make a positive impact for the Longhorns. He would later sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2013, but never make an actual NFL roster.