RB Jonathon Brooks talks senior season, UT coaching changes
To say running back Jonathon Brooks had a productive senior season doesn’t really do his efforts justice. The standout from Hallettsville rushed for 3,530 yards (12 ypc) and 62 touchdowns while adding 319 yards and three scores on the ground. He was an eyelash away from leading his team to a state championship, and his overall efforts earned him Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 2020 Mr. Texas Football Player of the Year honors.
It was a heck of a run and an incredible individual effort by Brooks, but he’s quick to point out that he was only able to put up the numbers he did because of the players around him.
“The line we had, they developed into a great line. We’re actually kind of young, but kept working. I couldn’t have done it without the line, the coaching calls,” Brooks said. “I’m always going to look back on it with amazement.”
Brooks signed his letter of intent with Texas in December and is completely locked in with his decision. Like everyone else in Longhorn nation, he was surprised to get the news on Saturday morning of Tom Herman’s firing and the quick hire of new head coach Steve Sarkisian. Brooks said he’s still gathering information on his future coach, and is excited to get to know him.
“I really liked coach Herman, feel like he’s a good coach. But regardless of who our coach is, I feel like we need to improve from last season anyway,” Brooks said. “Hopefully coach Sarkisian can come in here and turn things around. He knows what he’s doing. He’s Bama’s OC and they’re really good. He has the players to do it, but he’s doing well.
Brooks will be watching Alabama’s national title game intently next week to get a better feel of what kind of schemes he may see while in Austin. A versatile runner who can run with power or elude tacklers, Brooks should be able to fit in with whatever Sarkisian wants to do, and his only goal is to help Texas put checks in the win column.
“I don’t know much about his offense, just know he came from USC and Washington. Scheme stuff does matter, but it’s just the fact of us coming together as a team, regardless of the coach,” Brooks said. “Just playing as team, getting the job done. We had three losses, the points (differential) combined was really low. The mistakes we made, we can change easily and turn things around.”
Some of Brooks’ confidence stems from the way Texas closed out the season, including a dominating 55-23 win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
“A lot of young guys stepped up the future, like Casey Thompson,” Brooks said. “With the way he played, it looks like he might play next year.”
With running backs coach Stan Drayton expected to be retained, Brooks will head to campus with a certain comfort level, knowing he’ll be able to play under the coach who recruited him.
“That gives me a lot of confidence. If we were to get another coach, he’s going to come in, get his own recruits. It would be pretty hard to battle what he thinks is the best. With coach Drayton staying, he knows what I can do, believes in me,” Brooks said. “Hopefully coach Sarkisian comes in listens to the other coaches and everything goes well.”
A four-star prospect, Brooks will graduate in May and enroll at Texas in June.