Texas Newcomers Report: Welcome to the Longhorns’ CJ Baxter era

Welcome back to this week’s Texas Longhorns newcomer report. It’s a new year, and that means there are new faces across the Longhorns’ roster. But like last year, think of this as less a report than it is a quick rundown of how Texas’ 2023 freshman class and his talented pool of NCAA Transfer Portal adds faired in their latest showing this college football season.

Short and sweet, in other words.

Let’s get into how the newcomers did in Week 6 against the Oklahoma Sooners.

CJ Baxter, RB: Baxter, a native of Orlando, Florida, was one of the Longhorns’ top recruits in the 2023 class. In his most recent outing, the true freshman recorded 6 rushes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Baxter also grabbed two receptions for an additional 9 yards on the day.

Tre Wisner, RB: The true freshman running back had 1 tackle.

Johntay Cook, WR: Cook saw limited playing time in Texas’ most recent matchup.

Adonai Mitchell, WR: The junior wide receiver transfer, who joined Texas after two seasons and back-to-back national championships with the SEC’s Georgia Bulldogs, recorded 1 receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell, in his draft back down to Earth, has been one Texas’ most impactful targets throughout the Longhorns’ 2023 college football season.

Sydir Mitchell, DL: True freshman Mitchell saw limited playing time over the weekend.

Anthony Hill, LB: It’s beginning to go without saying that Hill’s latest performance was stellar. He was one of the top recruits at his position nationally, and his tenure at Texas is already paying off big for the Longhorns’ defense in one of the biggest games of the 2023 college football season. Hill recorded 5 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. The 2023 On3 “Midseason True Freshman All-American Team” continues showing out as an NCAA rookie.

Liona Lefau, LB: Texas’ true freshman linebacker out of the Aloha State had 1 tackle.

Malik Muhammad, CB: The true freshman cornerback, coming to Austin straight from his native Dallas area, started over the weekend at boundary corner, where he had 4 tackles.

Gavin Holmes, CB: A redshirt junior cornerback and former member of the ACC’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Holmes recorded 1 tackle and 1 assist before leaving the game early due to injury.

Jelani McDonald, S: The Waco product got a few plays in over the weekend.

Derek Williams, S: The true freshman safety recorded 5 tackles and 1 pass breakup. As the 2023 regular season has worn on, Williams has made a statement alongside Texas’ defense.

Ryan Sanborn, P: A fifth-year senior who transferred to Texas from the Stanford Cardinal program, where he was a two-time captain, Sanborn recorded 3 punts for 157 yards, with 59 yards as his long on the afternoon. Sanborn’s average on the day was about 52 yards.