Longhorns land elite OOS RB Cedric Baxter

The Longhorns have added another key piece to their 2023 recruiting class, and it comes from another elite out-of-state prospect.

Running back Cedric Baxter, out of Orlando Edgewater, announced moments ago that he’s given Texas a verbal commitment.

A Rivals250 member, Baxter is yet another huge addition for a Texas recruiting class that has been on a torrid run dating back to June. In adding Baxter, Texas pairs a top national running back with the nation’s top quarterback in Arch Manning. In Baxter, the Longhorns also boast a commitment from a second Rivals250 running back in Tre Wisner in the 2023 class.

Baxter, a one-time Florida State commitment, chose the Longhorns over programs like Texas A&M, Florida, Alabama and Miami. He holds more than 50 scholarship offers.

"The first thing that stands out about Baxter is that he's big. Not Derrick Henry big but is definitely a tall running back who has great speed and the ability to escape from defenders,” said Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney. “For someone who's a bigger back, Baxter has the athleticism to be special and to be used in all kinds of ways offensively."

Baxter took his official visit to Texas the weekend of June 17 and while he doesn’t reveal too much about his inner-thinkings, people close to him indicated that Texas had begun to surge following that visit and had likely even moved into the driver’s seat. The efforts of running backs coach Tashard Choice paid off today, with Baxter adding his name to the UT commitment list.

“This is another huge victory for Texas since Texas A&M really wanted him, he's an Orlando kid so both Florida and Miami made sense and then he had named Alabama his frontrunner earlier this summer,” Gorney said. “The Longhorns are getting a very talented player as they load up this recruiting cycle with more to come."

The 6-2, 215-pound Baxter is a four-star prospect and is ranked as the nation’s sixth-best running back prospect.