Texas running back Jaydon Blue exited Saturday's 31-12 win over Michigan with an apparent leg injury. Blue rushed for 3 yards to convert a third-and-2 for the Longhorns but came up hurt and had to hop off the field without putting any weight on his left leg. Blue was able to re-enter the game late in the second quarter, though he didn't receive any touches.
Blue was the game's leading rusher with four carries for 14 yards prior to his exit. He was the only Longhorns running back to carry the ball more than once over Texas' first two drives. The good news for the Longhorns is that thanks to Blue's third-down conversion, quarterback Quinn Ewers was able to hit tight end Gunnar Helm for a 21-yard touchdown and the 7-0 lead a couple plays later.
But Texas can hardly afford anymore long-term injury issues in its running back room. The Longhorns lost expected starter CJ Baxter for the season when he suffered a knee injury in the team's first full-pads practice of the fall camp slate.
Not long after, depth piece Christian Clark tore his Achilles tendon and had to undergo a surgical procedure that will keep him sidelined through the 2024 campaign. That left Texas with four scholarship running backs, including recent transfer addition Velton Gardner and true freshman Jerrick Gibson.