Cedric Baxter Jr., RB
There was a lot of discussion in the last few weeks about Texas’ chances to land one of the top running back recruits in the country and four-star Edgewater (FL) product Cedric Baxter Jr. And a lot of that discussion was spurred by Texas landing the commitment from Arch back on June 23.
But it’s not only Arch’s commitment that has heightened the appeal of joining the Longhorns 2023 class in the eyes of Baxter. It looks like Texas hauling in commitments from the likes of five-star DeSoto wide receiver Johntay Cook and five-star Westgate (LA) Derek Williams has affirmed the momentum of this 2023 class for Baxter.
Texas will need to continue to push for Baxter in the next month or so as the commitment of Arch didn’t make him a lock for the Longhorns 2023 class. Adding Arch definitely moved the needle in a big way for Baxter, as these two have reportedly stayed in communication throughout most of this offseason (and even before that).
You can’t rule out some of the other top schools making a run late at Baxter before his Aug. 10 decision date. Baxter still has the Texas A&M Aggies, Florida Gators, and Miami Hurricanes, involved before his August decision. I would consider Texas A&M and Florida the main competition here, especially since the Aggies had a successful unofficial visit with Baxter less than two weeks ago.