Texas Football: 3 most impactful absences due to injury this spring
Jonathon Brooks, RB
Another player that was held out of full drills during the media availability window on March 6 was redshirt sophomore running back Jonathon Brooks. The third-year former blue-chip recruit is coming off a hernia surgery that originally ailed him down the stretch last season.
Yet, I wasn’t expecting Brooks to miss any extended period of time heading into spring ball this week. It originally looked as if Brooks would be able to return at some point early in spring ball for the Longhorns.
Steve Sarkisian says Jonathon Brooks, Jalen Catalon, Jaylon Guilbeau, Derion Gullette, Cole Hutson, Maalik Murphy, Isaiah Neyor, and Keilan Robinson will be limited this spring or were limited today.
— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) March 6, 2023
Robinson is nursing a strain, per Sark.
The practice report from the first day of spring ball on March 6 from CJ Vogel of TFB Texas (donor content) mentioned that sophomore running back Jaydon Blue took the first-team reps out of the backfield with Brooks and redshirt senior Keilan Robinson limited in drills. And it sounds like Blue was impressive from what was seen out of him on the first day of spring practice, especially in receiving drills.
Freshman running back Cedric Baxter Jr. received the second-team reps behind Blue in the first day of spring practice.
I would assume that if and when Keilan and Brooks are able to return as full participants in practice this spring, they will be in the top two or three in terms of the pecking order for reps at running back.
It would be nice to see Brooks return to action this spring to see him compete with the likes of Blue, Keilan, and Baxter for reps in what is turning into a crowded running back room this spring.