Texas Football: Standout RB Tahj Brooks injured for Texas Tech

Big injury news came down for the opposition for new Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian in the Big 12 opener this weekend in the Texas Tech Red Raiders. A report from Horns247 (paid content) expresses that Texas Tech and head coach Matt Wells could be without standout 5-foot-10 and 220-pound sophomore running back Tahj Brooks got injured this week and his status “could be in doubt” against Texas on Sep. 25.

Texas Tech is now just getting back its stud running back that really broke through last season in SaRodorick Thompson from an upper-body injury. Just as Texas Tech is getting back Thompson, it looks like Brooks could be out this weekend in a huge matchup in Austin against the Longhorns.

This could be an opportunity for Pete Kwiatkowski to focus more on stopping the pass against the Red Raiders and offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie this weekend if Brooks is either limited or out completely.

Texas Tech will be hampered if Tahj Brooks is out vs. Texas football this weekend

Brooks is one of the biggest weapons that the Red Raiders have on either side of the ball. If he is limited in any way this weekend, that will put more pressure on the likes of quarterback Tyler Shough, Thompson, and wide receiver Erik Ezukanman, to shoulder the load on offense.

And this could also mean that Tech gives a bigger workload out of the backfield to the duo of Thompson and redshirt junior former converted wide receiver Xavier White. But it could be very difficult to make up for the production that Brooks brought to the table in the first three games of this season.

So far, Brooks registered 284 rushing yards on 35 carries (8.1 yards per carry), and four rushing touchdowns. He is leading the team in rushing yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry this season.

With the likelihood of Thompson starting for the Red Raiders at running back going up with this news, this means that Wells is going to have to rush back the recovering upperclassmen likely faster than originally anticipated. Thompson was recovering from injury since spring, and got his first real action against FIU in a win for Tech last weekend.

This is a developing storyline that we will continue to monitor as we are now less than 24 hours away from kickoff between Texas and Texas Tech in this Big 12 opener. Kickoff time between the Longhorns and Red Raiders is set for 11 a.m. CT at DKR on Sep. 25.