OTF Premium Down a (Quick) Rabbit Hole | Does Size Matter for Sark's Running Backs?

[CJ Vogel]

Size + Production of Sarkisian's Running Backs at Texas

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For those of y'all that are relatively new here, welcome in. Follow me down this journey that I like calling a rabbit hole of particular statistics or trends or just interesting tidbits that are relevant throughout the course of a season.

Today's rabbit hole is an interesting one.

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Given the news that Texas is set to host Arizona State running back Raleek Brown (5'9" and 195) for a visit on Wednesday, and that the staff remains somewhat interested in former LSU running back Caden Durham (5'9" and 205), it got me thinking quite a bit.

Does size actually matter... to play running back in Sarkisian's offense?

Texas has been on the lighter end of the running back scale for each of the last two seasons, and given the current running back room, plus the current prospects, is it even a priority for the staff to find what you would consider to be a larger running back?

Well, I went through 24 different running backs who have accumulated 10 or more rushing attempts in a single season since Sark arrived in Austin. Here is what I ended up finding out.

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RB By Weight Since 2021

• 220+ ... 3 
• 210–219: 6
• 200–209: 7 
• Under 200: 8 

Those three backs over 220 included 2025 CJ Baxter at 227 pounds and both Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson at 222 pounds in 2022.

The eight backs under 200 range all the way down to 183 pounds with Keilan Robinson in 2021 when he received 45 rush attempts.

 

 

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Best Yards After Contact Seasons

There have been six running back seasons ending with a yards per rush after contact average north of 4.00 yards and only one eclipsing the 5.0 mark.

• 5.07 – Brooks in 2022
• 4.76 – Brooks in 2021
• 4.28 – R. Johnson in 2022
• 4.22 – Colin Page in 2024
• 4.17 –  B. Robinson in 2022
• 4.06 – R. Johnson in 2021

Three of the four heaviest running back seasons are included above – Roschon and Bijan in 2022 and Roschon again in 2021.

Brooks was running right at 200 pounds (199 and 202) in both seasons listed above.

Page was listed at 210. 

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Best Seasons

The best seasons from a Texas running back have included both of Bijan's 2021 and 2022 seasons where he totaled over 2600 rushing yards and won a Doak Walker Award.

And Jonathon Brooks' 2023 season right before his injury. Brooks' ACL injury sidelined what could have been a back to back stretch of Doak's returning to the 40 Acres.

Brooks was listed at 207 on the Texas roster in 2023. 

 

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Notable Findings

• Of the best 11 yards per rush averages a Texas running back has had under Sarkisian, all occurred between 2021 and 2023.

• Only five running back seasons resulted in a yards per rush after contact rate under 2.50 yards.

• 2.41 – CJ Baxter in 2025
• 2.25 – Jerrick Gibson in 2025
• 2.24 – Keilan Robinson in 2022
• 2.18 – Christian Clark in 2025
• 1.75 – Jaydon Blue in 2022

 

• The 2025 running back room had the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th worst yards per average marks of all Texas running backs under Sarkisian.

 

• Eight Texas running backs have broken 30 tackles or more in a single season. Every back had an average yards gained after contact of 3.85 or higher except for two seasons – Tre Wisner (3.25) in 2025 and Wisner again (3.08) in 2024.

Of those eight running backs, only Wisner and Jaydon Blue weighed under 207 pounds. 

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There really was not a sure-fire conclusion here. If there was a takeaway, it's this: Good running backs matter. Size, not so much.

Whether it is with elite traits, like speed or contact balance, the best Texas running back seasons under Steve Sarkisian have come with backs taken very early in the NFL Draft.

Additionally, the offensive line production up front matters too. 

But above all, the talent at running back matters. The Longhorn running back room in 2024 and 2025 was a shell of itself from 2021 through 2023. I will explain the biggest takeaway in the comments.

[CJ Vogel]

Talent in the room has to matter. Texas did not have a talented stable in 2025 – or at least not a proven stable. And again, the offensive line for the most part was a mess.

But this was the most notable takeaway for me in relation to that.

 

Yards After Contact per Rush Attempt by the entire RB Room:

 

The talent is what matters. 

[Coop2395]

Cue the “size matters” jokes. 😂

[CJ Vogel]

Texas running back seasons since 2021 ranked by heaviest to lightest.

Speed ultimately matters the most for yards per attempt. Breakaway speed is clearly what Texas is targeting with Raleek Brown.

 

 

[Btown22]

Baxter 54 at top of yards seems off

[CJ Vogel]

Just now, Btown22 said:

Baxter 54 at top of yards seems off

Shoot, flipped yards and attempts. 

[John F.]

Forgot how big Bijan was in college. Special player

[Thorn007]

https://youtu.be/BY9kauD63BI?si=_4zAOBcJOH3B5xDe

 

 Raleek I see power and quickness. Me likey

Edited yesterday at 07:00 PM by Thorn007

[AZ Longhorn]

@CJ Vogel good prompt, and appreciate the longitudinal analysis. I think the specific evidence you lay out has two weaknesses: 

1. The case based on production doesn't account for the confounding variable of the massive difference in play style between the Big 12 and the SEC. We saw how much production stats can get skewed, when we saw the tech offense - that was top 5 in meaningful offensive stats this year - and get humiliated by a legit Power 2 team. 
2. Assuming a single, static "Sark's offense." He has his own style and preferences for sure, but we've seen him make adaptations even just within the last two years in the SEC. What worked in 2022 in the Big 12 may not be relevant to what he wants (or better: NEEDS) to do in 2026 in the SEC. Evolve or die. 

Not trying to nitpick just to nitpick - really appreciate you challenging what's become conventional wisdom around the team that we need a power run game to win the SEC and natty - hopefully this advances the debate to better arguments for and against.