The Texas Longhorns have been bitten by the injury bug ahead of their SEC debut this year. The team already saw starting running back CJ Baxter be forced to miss the season but another member of the running back room is also going to miss the season, according to the statement the Texas Longhorns sent out.
“Texas freshman running back Christian Clark sustained a torn Achilles tendon in practice on Monday, will undergo surgery and be out for the season.” h/t Sports Illustrated
Ths is going to be interesting as now the program is down to three running backs on the roster with Jaydone Blue, Tre Wisner and Jerrick Giibson, In addition, there are other players who are getting some snaps in the backfield to help with the depth as injuries pile up ahead of the regular season. Coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about this on Monday with the assembled media.
“We’re looking at some different options, and I think we’re looking at it creatively, whether it’s a couple of guys on the offensive side of the ball, a potential player on the defensive side o the ball, or two for that matter… So we’re kind of taking it day by day again. We’ve got plenty of time. We’re just trying to get a sense and a feel of how, not only will they play on offense at runner, but how does that impact us at other positions if we take a player.”
It will be interesting to see how the Texas Longhorns are going to attack the lack of depth currently at the position.
Can the Texas Longhorns compete for the SEC Championship this season?
The Texas Longhorns have been one of the best teams in the nation as they head to the SEC this year. This program made the College Football Playoff last season and saw both quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning return to the school. They did lose a lot of skill position players to the NFL draft and now injuries but the running back room is going to be difficult to navigate now.
Expect a strong defensive team with outstanding quarterback play that should be in the Heisman Trophy consideration to be in the top four in the SEC in their debut season in the conference. There is a possibility they can eclipse the Alabama Crimson Tide and/or the Georgia Bulldogs this upcoming season and make the SEC Championship Game.
At the very worst-case scenario for the Longhorns, expect to see them in the College Football Playoff once again.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
