From Couch to Comeback: CJ Baxter’s Grind Back to Glory After Brutal Knee Injury

CJ Baxter had it all lined up. He was supposed to be Texas football’s next breakout star, the kind of running back that fans chant for and defenses lose sleep over. Big frame, explosive speed, a natural feel for finding holes in the line—he had “next level” written all over him. But all that momentum came to a hard stop before the 2024 season even kicked off. A devastating knee injury during preseason camp—tearing both his ACL and LCL—shut it all down before it began. Suddenly, the rising star wasn’t racing up the field anymore. He was stuck on the sideline, in pain, with nothing to do but watch and wonder what might’ve been.

It’s one thing to be physically hurt. That pain, Baxter says, was manageable. But the mental side? That’s what wrecked him. “It was a lot, more mentally than physically,” he said. “The first two months were very brutal mentally, like watching the games. I had surgery the week before the first game … I couldn’t move around as much.” When the Longhorns took the field that fall, Baxter wasn’t just sidelined—he was stuck on a couch, watching it all unfold without him. Imagine being at the peak of your athletic life and suddenly not even being able to jog. It hit harder than he ever expected.

And he couldn’t turn the channel. He had to sit through every snap, knowing full well that he should’ve been out there. That reality took a toll. Watching his teammates celebrate wins and fight through losses while he sat motionless at home? That’ll mess with your head. It was the first time in his life football wasn’t a daily part of his routine. No practices, no game-day adrenaline, no locker room laughs. Just hours of rehab and the sound of the TV echoing through a quiet room. It felt like the game was moving on without him.

But slowly—very slowly—that brutal silence started to change him. As months passed, something shifted inside Baxter. Instead of drowning in frustration, he started building discipline. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he leaned into his faith and found purpose in the process. He looked to the biblical story of Job, someone who lost nearly everything but kept believing. That story stuck with him. It reminded him there was a purpose behind pain—even when you couldn’t see it in the moment. He also found strength in his girlfriend, Mia Scott, a Texas softball star who had just fought back from her own knee injury. She not only recovered, but helped lead her team to a national title. Her comeback wasn’t just inspiring—it was fuel. If she could do it, so could he.

Baxter didn’t just focus on healing his body—he stayed mentally locked into the game too. He stayed close to the team, traveling to games, staying on the sidelines, attending meetings, watching film. He didn’t want to fall behind, and more than that, he didn’t want to let his younger teammates miss out on what he’d already learned. Even when he couldn’t play, he became a vocal leader, coaching up younger backs during games and practice. He’d pull them aside, point things out, break down plays. He turned into another set of eyes for the coaches—helping teach others, even while he was still learning himself. And that right there? That’s the kind of leadership that doesn’t always show up on a stat sheet but sticks in a locker room.

One of the hardest moments during his recovery came when Tashard Choice—his position coach and the man who recruited him—left Texas for the NFL. Baxter didn’t hide the fact that it hurt. He said straight up, “It hurt.” But he also made it clear he’s got love for Choice and everything he did for him during his early development. It was another curveball, another piece of the plan that didn’t go how it was supposed to. But Baxter didn’t let it shake him. He just added it to the growing list of challenges he was determined to push through.

Now, after nearly a year off the field, CJ Baxter is finally back. And not just jogging around in drills—he’s back hitting holes, lowering his shoulder, making cuts that make defenders miss. He’s still wearing a knee brace, and he admits he’s not quite 100% just yet, but the flashes are there. The burst, the balance, the hunger—it’s all coming back. Head coach Steve Sarkisian said Baxter’s been running “hard and physical” in practice, and that he’s done everything the program’s asked of him in rehab. That’s no small compliment, especially when you consider Sark’s not one to hype a guy who’s not ready.

The coaching staff is being smart, too. They’re not trying to rush Baxter back into a full workload. Sarkisian made it clear they’re going to be patient. “When CJ Baxter plays for us, he’s ready to play,” he said. “Could be Week One. Could be Week Two, Week Three. I don’t know.” That’s not a knock on Baxter—it’s a nod to how serious they are about getting this right. One bad cut too soon and it could be another lost year. No one wants that—not Baxter, not the staff, not the fans.

Meanwhile, the Texas running back room is stacked. Quintrevion Wisner took full advantage of Baxter’s absence last year, rushing for over 1,000 yards and turning himself into one of the best backs in the country. Christian Clark, Jerrick Gibson, and others are pushing hard in camp too. That depth gives Texas a ridiculous amount of options—and it also gives Baxter time to ease back in without feeling like he has to carry the load right away. But make no mistake: once he’s ready, he’s going to be part of that rotation. A big part.

In recent scrimmages, Baxter’s been one of the standout players on the field. His cuts are cleaner, his instincts are sharper, and the confidence is clearly building. One day after a hard scrimmage, he came back out and practiced again—something most players wouldn’t attempt so early in a recovery. That right there told the coaches everything they needed to know. Baxter wasn’t just trying to get by. He was chasing greatness again.

The big moment circled on everyone’s calendar is the season opener: August 30th in Columbus, Ohio, against the Buckeyes. One of the biggest matchups of the college football season, and possibly the biggest test Texas will face all year. If Baxter’s ready, it could be a full-circle moment—a chance to step back onto the field after a year away and make a national statement. But whether it’s that game or one a little later, Baxter’s time is coming. You can feel it. And you better believe he can feel it too.

What makes Baxter’s comeback so compelling isn’t just the injury or the highlight plays. It’s the way he handled the downtime. He didn’t pout. He didn’t disappear. He grew. He helped others. He stayed connected. He turned one of the lowest points of his life into a proving ground, and now he’s ready to cash in all that quiet work.

There’s still a long season ahead. No one’s handing out trophies in August. But if you’re a Texas fan, you have every reason to be excited—not just about what Baxter can do, but about what he’s already shown. A kid who lost a year but gained something even more important: perspective. The fire to compete, the discipline to stay ready, and the strength to come back better than he left.

So don’t just watch CJ Baxter for the touchdowns or the big-yardage plays. Watch him for the grit. The body language. The way he talks to teammates. The way he runs when nobody’s watching. That’s where the comeback is really happening. That’s where the magic is.

He’s not just a running back returning from injury. He’s a reminder that the toughest roads often lead to the strongest comebacks. And if things go the way they’re starting to look, CJ Baxter’s comeback season might just turn into the breakout year Texas fans have been waiting for.