CJ Baxter injury: Steve Sarkisian has big update on Texas RB's return after Fall camp injury

The Texas Longhorns were dealt a blow on Wednesday when CJ Baxter suffered a knee injury which will force him out of action for the rest of the season. An MRI conducted on the running back revealed that he had torn both the LCL and PCL in his knee.

Outspoken Texas coach Steve Sarkisian talked about losing Baxter to injury on Thursday evening while addressing reporters who highlighted his importance as a teammate, among other qualities.

"Obviously we got some unfortunate news coming out of practice the other day with Cedric Baxter being lost for the season,” Sarkisian said. “I hate it for the kid. The same way I talked about Liona Lefau the other day, if you polled our team who the top three teammates on our team, Cedric Baxter would be in that top one, two or three as well.

“As much as we love him for the player that he is, we love him more for the teammate that he is,” Sarkisian said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him. We’re encouraged by all the doctors that he’s going to make a really healthy recovery and we’ll have him back for next season.”

CJ Baxter was influential for the Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns reached last season's college football playoff semifinals, and while players like quarterback Quinn Ewers received a lot of praise, CJ Baxter was also a key reason why the team ran like a well-oiled machine.

Baxter more than held his own as a freshman tallying 138 carries resulting in 658 yards and five touchdowns and was just behind Jonathon Brooks, who departed for the NFL.

Although he suffered a rib injury against Alabama, he was still a key part of the team, and Sarkisian revealed that he still played despite not being at full strength.

The 19-year-old captured the attention of a lot of fans including retired Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. During the SEC Media Days, he spoke to his former assistant, Sarkisian, about his talented running back.

“I’m gonna alleviate some of your concerns because I know you’ve got seven wideouts that all can play,” Saban said. “I know you’ve got three quarterbacks that all can play. Baxter was the best running back I saw of any team, aight, so you’re gonna be able to run the ball. If you can run it, you can always do better in the red zone. I’m just gonna do a little coaching clinic here just in case.”

Baxter's is a huge blow to coach Steve Sarkisian as his team attempts to navigate a treacherous SEC campaign that will test their limits.