Taking a look at Texas's RB room with transfer Velton Gardner
With the depth thin in the running back room, Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian and RB coach Tashard Choice added former SMU Mustangs and Kansas Jayhawks fifth-year senior transfer Velton Gardner. This is about as late as we've seen Texas and Sarkisian make a move to add from the transfer portal at a significant position.
Texas football adds to RB room with late-portal pickup in senior Velton Gardner
Gardner announced his transfer to play the final year of his collegiate eligibility at Texas for the 2024 season via social media very late in the night of Aug. 21.
Texas was down to three healthy scholarship running backs on the roster late in preseason camp after losing two backs to season-ending lower-body injuries.
I will say up front that I don't think Gardner is going to come in and right away set the SEC ablaze. But he will add depth in the form of a player who has valuable experience and can give the Longhorns extra carries and looks in practice and if needed in live-game action this upcoming season.
One interesting part about this transfer is the impact it has on other possible position changes at emergency running back for the Longhorns this fall. Senior tight end Juan Davis and redshirt freshman wide receiver Ryan Niblett have been taking backfield reps at running back in fall practice in the last week or 10 days.
Here's a look at Texas's running back room after the addition of Gardner and how the reps could be projected to be distributed for Sarkisian and the Longhorns this fall.
Starter: Jaydon Blue
Junior running back Jaydon Blue burst onto the scene for the Longhorns in the second half of last season. He was Texas's third-leading rusher last season, behind CJ Baxter Jr. and Jonathon Brooks, with over 500 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
I'm fully expecting Blue to be a breakout running back to watch in the SEC this fall. He can get to the outside and explode for big gains with his impressive speed and underrated elusiveness in the open field and out in space after he gets the ball in his hands in the receiving game out of the backfield.
Blue is not only one of Texas's fastest players at the skill positions, but he's also someone who can generate explosive plays with his speed and momentum running the football between the tackles, like he did against Texas Tech and even UW in the CFP last year.
In goal line and third and fourth-and-short scenarios on offense for the Longhorns, Blue probably won't be the go-to option in the backfield. His skill set isn't the best fit for those short-yardage situations running up the middle on the ground.
But all the ways Texas can utilize Blue in the zone and outside rushing attack, along with getting the ball in his hands as a receiver out in space to take advantage of his speed, will make him an extremely productive back who is a candidate to have a career year this fall at RB.