Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks suffered a torn ACL in Week 11’s win against TCU. The redshirt sophomore had been turning heads since emerging as the starter after Bijan Robinson’s departure. Internally, our staff had planned to rank him as a top-five back in the 2024 RB class before his injury.
Brooks’ season is prematurely over, and his 2024 NFL Draft status is unclear.
Jonathon Brooks’ Draft Status Becomes Uncertain
The stars seemed to align for Brooks to be a standout back in a deep class but lacking a clear alpha at the top. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Brooks is “now likely” to return to Texas as he recovers from his torn ACL.
This is a tough break, considering Texas had only two to four games left this year, and Brooks will face a deeper class in 2025.
The 6’0″, 207-pounder had a breakout campaign amidst uncertainty about who would carry the load for Texas. Averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 11.4 yards per catch, he finished 2023 with 1,425 yards and 11 touchdowns. As impressive as Texas’ passing game was, Brooks’ emergence redefined this offense as they uncovered his talent.
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A powerful runner for his size with good vision, great quickness, and speed, Brooks could simultaneously shoulder the load throughout a game while still creating explosive plays. Where peers like Braelon Allen and Blake Corum cannot create big plays with their quickness, Brooks can do everything they do and more. He had earned his projection within the top 60 picks in our last few mock drafts.
The Longhorns will lose star receiver Xavier Worthy and likely both AD Mitchell and Ja’Tavion Sanders to the 2024 NFL Draft. Quarterback Quinn Ewers probably should return after another good but not great year, but the pressure to play Arch Manning might force him to transfer or declare early. The offense was at risk of also losing Brooks.
Is Brooks the Next Bijan Robinson?
No, Brooks is not the next Robinson.
Let’s address two things right now. First, there is an association bias where onlookers associate two players because they look similar cosmetically. This is why we often see same-school comparisons — because uniforms can play a hand in exacerbating that bias.
Schools often have recruiting preferences when they look to add players, so there is some merit to player similarity. But same-school comparisons are dangerous because of this implicit bias.
Second, Robinson is special and was a special 2023 NFL Draft prospect. To be the next Robinson, Brooks must be the full package: Size, speed, contact balance, elite vision and creative instincts, agility, flexibility, and high-level receiving skills.
A back like Robinson only comes around once a decade at most. It’s an extremely high bar to clear and one that very few backs will hit for the next decade or more.
That said, it doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate Brooks for what he is. Brooks is an explosive slasher at his size with an extremely appealing accelerative capacity through gaps. He also has size-defying contact balance and strength through arm tackles, has solid vision and tempo, and has proven to be a capable pass catcher.