Tahj Brooks, the country's most-used back, to get some rest this spring for Texas Tech
Tahj Brooks has more carries than any other player at any level of college football this year, and the Texas Tech running back is coming back for more in 2024.
The Doak Walker Award semifinalist is due some well-earned rest, and he'll get it. On Wednesday, Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire made it sound as if Brooks will get a bare minimum of carries in March and April.
"There's going to be some serious competition who that No. 2 running back's going to be," McGuire said during a national signing day press conference. "They're going to get a lot of it, because Tahj won't get very many live reps at all in spring football. He carried the ball enough this fall to be able to take a break in some of those scrimmages and help the young guys out."
Brooks carried 289 times this season for 1,542 yards, the latter figure third-most in the FBS. He reached 30 carries in a game four times after coming into the season with a single-game career high of 17 attempts.
He could lose the all-levels most-used rusher title depending on what others do in games remaining.
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Troy running back Kimani Vidal, who's built like Brooks and even wears No. 28, has 280 carries for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns, and the Trojans play Duke on Dec. 23 in the Birmingham Bowl. Georgia State, whose Marcus Carroll has rushed 274 times for 1,350 yards and 13 TDs, has the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 23 against Utah State.
They're probably the only ones with a chance to catch him in the carries category.
Brooks recently announced he'll opt in on his COVID bonus year for 2024. No. 2 running back Cam'Ron Valdez, after having his name in the NCAA transfer portal this month, announced he's withdrawing it and sticking with Tech.
McGuire's declaration means more work in the spring for Valdez, Bryson Donnell, Anquan Willis and JMaury Davis, the other scholarship backs on campus. Valdez will be a junior next season, Willis and Davis redshirt freshmen.
Austin Crockett's Cameron Dickey, one of Wednesday's high-school signees, is expected to join the team in January as a mid-year enrollee. Dickey will have one of the coolest nicknames on the team.
"We call him Captain America," McGuire said.
Earning their keep
The following players lead their levels of college football in rushing attempts this season. All have completed their seasons.
FBS: Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, 289 carries, 1,542 yards, 10 touchdowns.
FCS: Tyvon Edmonds Jr., Merrimack, 279 carries, 1,247 yards, 10 TDs.
Division II: Chavon Wright, Charleston (W.Va.), 272 carries, 1,518 yards, 20 TDs.
Division III: Hunter Clasen, Wartburg, 277 carries, 1,654 yards, 24 TDs.
NAIA: Jamin Arend, Dakota Wesleyan, 284 carries, 1,212 yards, 12 TDs.
NCCAA: Jamari Wilson, Kentucky Christian, 251 carries, 771 yards, four TDs.
NJCAA Division I: Terrez Worthy, Lackawanna, 202 carries, 1,492 yards, 10 TDs.
NJCAA Division III: Roosevelt Cage, North Dakota State College of Science, 208 carries, 1,068 yards, 12 TDs.
CCCAA: Jayson Cortes, Chaffey, 211 carries, 1,193 yards, 15 TDs.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Rest is ahead for Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks, the country's most-used RB
