The dismissals of senior running back Joe Bergeron and sophomore running back Jalen Overstreet have left the Texas Longhorns short on scholarship running backs this fall, but the school received good news this week when the NCAA cleared freshman running back D'Onta Foreman, according to a report from Horns247.
The twin brother of freshman wide receiver Armanti Foreman, D'Onta had to take a summer class in order to qualify academically. He passed the class, submitted his transcript to Texas early in the week, then was given the go-ahead by the NCAA to enroll in school and start practicing with the Horns.
A Semper Fidelis All-American along with his brother, Foreman is coming off a massively productive senior season, having carried the ball 186 for 1,893 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Part of a three-man running back class for Texas in 2014, the group has already shrunk with the news that all-purpose back Kevin Shorter will take a medical scholarship following his spinal injury last fall. The only back of the three who has been practicing, Donald Catalon, is currently sidelined with an injury.
With Catalon currently unavailable, Texas had been working with only two scholarship running backs -- senior Malcolm Brown and junior Johnathan Gray, who says that he is nearly recovered from the Achilles injury that ended his sophomore season in the West Virginia game.
As a result, if Catalon misses anything significant amount of time, the Horns may have to turn to Foreman for several carries a game. And depending on how much weight he has added since his senior season, Foreman could earn the short-yardage tailback role. However, it's likely that Brown still has some weight on him -- Foreman was listed at 207 pounds last year, while Brown currently checks in at 222.
In any case, the Horns needed some good news at the position and got it.