The No. 22 Texas Longhorns narrowly escaped with a 16-13 overtime win over the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 8 and now turn their attention to the Mississippi State Bulldogs as they aim for their third straight victory.
Despite the win, questions continue to swirl around quarterback Arch Manning and the Texas offense. Manning failed to record a touchdown pass against Kentucky, though securing the victory remained the main priority.
The Longhorns’ offense has struggled to find consistency this season, but the team will look to build momentum heading into a challenging stretch to close out the regular season. Texas still faces tough matchups against the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores, No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, and No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies.
Fortunately for Manning and the offense, they recently received some positive news regarding a key contributor’s return.
Texas running back CJ Baxter is probable for Saturday at Mississippi State.
Has not played since UTEP in September. https://t.co/kCAm6smwgb pic.twitter.com/m0gxnvGdjM
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) October 23, 2025
On Wednesday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that running back CJ Baxter is close to making his return to the field.
“Texas running back CJ Baxter is expected to play Saturday against Mississippi State. He hasn’t seen action since the UTEP game in September,” Nakos shared on X.
In 2023, CJ Baxter totaled 659 rushing yards and five touchdowns, but a torn LCL and PCL in his right knee sidelined him for the entire 2024 season.
This year, Baxter has appeared in three games, rushing for 110 yards before suffering an injury early in the Sept. 13 matchup against UTEP, which has kept him out since.
Currently, running back Quintrevion Wisner leads the Longhorns with 222 rushing yards, but with Baxter nearing a return, Texas could soon feature a strong one-two punch in the backfield heading into Week 9.
Texas (5-2, 2-1 SEC) will take on Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3) at 4:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, airing on SEC Network.
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