Prominent Analyst Bullish About Texas Longhorns RB Duo

Wisner became the bell cow for the Longhorns down the stretch of the 2024 season. Ending the season with 226 carries for 1064 yards and five touchdowns. Becoming the third 1000-yard rusher in the Steve Sarkisian regime, joining Bijan Robinson, who did it twice in 2021 and 2022, and Jonathon Brooks, who eclipsed that mark in 2023.

"(Wisner is) really, really impressive," McElroy said. "He had 207 carries in 12 games between the SEC slate and the postseason... I can promise you, you will feel it when he is in the ball game. He's also great in the passing game. He's an above-average blocker. He's rock-solid catching the ball out of the backfield. Love how they utilize him on screens. I also love how they can motion them out of the backfield and line them up as a traditional wide receiver. So I think wise nurse versatility makes him really intriguing. Couple that with Steve Sarkisian's creativity as a play-caller and wiser is going to have ample opportunities to continue to hone in on beating the defense in a bunch of different ways."

With Baxter returning from injury and the hopeful emergence of some of the younger backs like Jerrick Gibson and the also returning from injury Christian Clark, the workload for Wisner may decrease.

However, with Wisner's blend of speed and power, the carries he does get will be felt by the defense. A much fresher Wisner from game to game will allow his impact on the ground and through the air to be much more impactful.

Baxter's outlook on the 2025 season will be to rebuild what he started in his true freshman season in 2023 after suffering a season-ending injury to his LCL and PCL in his right knee in the 2024 preseason.

The former five-star and top running back in his recruiting class totaled 659 yards on 138 carries and five touchdowns in his freshman season. While having to split touches with now Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks.

Poised to have an easier load in 2025 with the amount of depth the Longhorns have at running back. Baxter can look to ease back into the rotation and get back to the level in his freshman season that made him a big contributor to the Longhorns team that made it to that year's College Football Semifinal.

"By all accounts, (Baxter) has made a full recovery from the knee injury from the preseason last year," McElroy said. "Now it's about cashing in on those expectations and I happen to believe based on the buzz and the rumors and the excitement level surrounding his performance in the off season last year, Baxter is poised for a huge breakthrough."

The pairing of Wisner and Baxter could become of of the top duos in America, and any emergence from the younger running backs could solidify the substantial talent Texas has in its running back room.