A thermostat, not a thermometer. That’s how Edgewater football coach Cameron Duke described 2023 Texas signee Cedric Baxter Jr. to the Orlando Sentinel.

Baxter, who was named a five-star recruit and the No. 2 running back in the nation by 247Sports, has been a highly touted power back for Power Five programs since starting for Edgewater as a junior. The Edgewater, Florida product rushed for 1,651 yards on 199 carries in 2021 and 1,375 yards on 174 carries in 2022, granting him All-American honors and nationwide recognition as a workhorse runner that has the strength to plow through Division I-caliber defenders.

While Baxter’s 6-foot-one-inch and 211-pound stature will only grow to loom larger with access to a college weight room, Duke said that the running back’s physical attributes are not the only things that set him apart from other high school talent.

“He knows how to lift the spirit of the team,” Duke said. “It’s very contagious how he plays and how he encourages his teammates.”

Texas’ running back room has a recent history of locker room leaders, namely Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson. Both declared for the 2023 NFL Draft prior to Texas’ Valero Alamo Bowl matchup against Washington this past December. Despite both athletes opting out of the bowl game, Johnson ran out of the tunnel hoisting a burnt orange boombox with his Longhorns, while Robinson was smiling ear-to-ear on the sidelines during the pregame festivities.

Baxter looks to continue the tradition of great backfield leadership early in his Texas career.

The Orlando Sentinel’s 2021 Offensive Player of the Year is already heavily involved in recruiting other 2023 classmates to Texas. Head coach Steve Sarkisian noted that Baxter helped bring offensive lineman Payton Kirkland to the Forty Acres due to their close proximity and consistent communication.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, college coaches relied heavily on both online programming and current players or commits to establish a dialogue with high school athletes. Baxter bonded with Kirkland since both were pursued by Texas and they became genuine friends with shared experiences from playing in the Orlando area.

Baxter also regularly talks to running backs coach Tashard Choice and other 2023 early enrollees, including five-star quarterback Arch Manning.

“I talk to them all the time,” Baxter told the Orlando Sentinel. “I talked to Arch yesterday and he’s probably already texted my phone tonight, and Johntay (Cook)  called me as soon as I arrived (on official visit).”

Locker room presence aside, Sarkisian believes that Baxter could make an impact on Texas’ run game his freshman season. The Longhorns’ running back room is an inch wide and a mile deep, with junior Keilan Robinson and redshirt freshman Jonathon Brooks currently in the RB1 and RB2 spots, respectively. But Sarkisian is counting on experienced freshman backs to earn meaningful play time in their first seasons.

“I’ve seen it done multiple times at different stops,” Sarkisian said. “(From) Reggie (Bush) and LenDale (White) as true freshmen playing for us at USC to most recently to what Bijan did as a true freshman here just a couple of years ago.”