Texas Longhorns running back Jaydon Blue reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Brian Schottenheimer raves about talent, 'professionalism' of Cowboys' rookie

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Matt Galatzan | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 3:42 PM ET

Jaydon Blue has been one of the more talked-about rookies for the Dallas Cowboys so far throughout training camp, with many eager to see what kind of playmaking ability he can bring to the table.

To this point in camp, it has been fairly well established that Javonte Williams is slated as the starting running back. That said, there is ample opportunity behind him, and for a player with the skillset of Blue, its easy to see why fans want to see him incorporated into the offense in some way.

Fortunately, it appears the coaching staff is beginning buy into the hype as well.

During his press conference on Sunday, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer raved about Blue, praising both his dynamic talent and explosive athleticism, but also his professionalism and work ethic.

"Yeah, the speed, the dynamic playmaking ability. I think he's a dual-threat guy. I think you can hand him the ball. He doesn't need a lot of space to make people miss, and his acceleration is uncanny. I mean, his ability to get to top speed is unique," Schottenheimer said. "He's just, he's such a talented young man. But what I like is the professionalism that he's shown at this camp.

"I think it's one of those things where, like, he's here and he's like, 'Okay, I think it's kind of go time. I have my little bit of learning curve in the off-season program and all this new language.' You gotta remember these guys, they rarely hear play calls in the huddle. They get signals, and they're going fast. And so I think he's much more comfortable with what we're doing. So you're seeing him play faster, freer, and more confident."

This praise from his head coach, of course, is a far cry from the narratives and claims being pushed by former Cowboys assistant Glenn 'Stretch' Smith, calling Blue 'borderline lazy' during a recent podcast.

Then again, even before the comments from his head coach, it was already abundantly clear that Blue was impressing his teammates and fans in a major way and making multiple highlight reel plays thus far in camp.

The same holds true when Blue was a star at Texas, where he consistently made big time plays in big time moments both in the College Football Playoffs against Washington, Clemson and Ohio State, or in the regular season in matchups with Texas A&M.

In fact, in 38 career games, Blue rushed 214 times for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He also added 56 receptions for 503 yards and seven more scores, giving 18 career touchdowns - a third of which came in either College Football Playoff or conference title games.

If he can bring that same big play and big moment production to the table for Dallas, Cowboys fans could be in for a fun year of football in 2025.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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