Texas' Christian Clark Suffers Achilles Injury; 2nd Longhorns RB Out for 2024 Season

An already-depleted Texas Longhorns backfield suffered yet another blow on Tuesday.

Per Chris Hummer of 247Sports, Longhorns true freshman running back Christian Clark suffered a torn Achilles this week and will miss the entirety of the 2024 season. He's the second Texas running back to suffer a season-ending injury this month, joining CJ Baxter, who suffered a knee injury last week.

Clark was a 4-star prospect out of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix and the No. 23 running back in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite. He chose to attend Texas over offers from schools like Alabama, Arizona, Florida State and Oregon, among others.

247Sports recruiting analyst Blair Angulo described Clark as a "forceful runner who is tough to bring down" and added that he "projects as a multi-year starter at the elite Power Five level."

Clark likely would've seen an uptick in his workload after the injury to Baxter, who was Texas' leading returning rusher and the team's projected starter for the upcoming campaign. The sophomore suffered a torn LCL and PCL that requires surgery and will keep him sidelined for six to nine months.

Without Baxter and Clark, the Longhorns' running back room is down to junior Jaydon Blue, sophomore Tre Wisner and freshman Jerrick Gibson. According to 247Sports' Chip Brown, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff "were already tinkering with moving a player from another position to running back."

For now, Blue is likely to step into the role of lead back for the Longhorns. He rushed for 398 yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries last season, including a 69-yard touchdown run that showed he has the potential to be a future star. He also added 14 catches for 135 yards and a score.

Texas is hoping to have a big year in its first season in the SEC, so Blue and the remaining running backs will have to be at the top of their game if they hope to help the team achieve success in 2024.