Jonathon Brooks, RB Texas: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Brooks was a four-star recruit from Hallettsville High School in Hallettsville, Texas in the class of 2021

We recently received the news that Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL. The injury will complicate his evaluation for the 2024 NFL Draft, but Brooks’ talent and on-field performance are fantastic.

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Jonathon Brooks, RB Texas: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore running back from Hallettsville, Texas

Background: Brooks was a four-star recruit from Hallettsville High School in Hallettsville, Texas in the class of 2021. He was the No. 354 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 296 for On3.com. Brooks was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals. He was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. Brooks carried the ball 295 times for 3,530 yards and 62 touchdowns as a high school senior, earning First Team Texas MaxPreps All-State and PrepStar All-Midlands Region honors. Additionally, he produced 284 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions on offense, two interceptions on defense, and 124 punt return yards on three attempts, finishing the year with 4,054 all-purpose yards. Brooks led Hallettsville to a 13-3 record and an undefeated district record and title. Hallettsville lost in the 3A Division 1 State Championship Game by one point in overtime. As a junior, he rushed for 2,144 yards and 38 touchdowns while catching 18 receptions for 299 yards and a score. He also produced 600 yards on special teams and punted 20 times while averaging 42.3 yards per attempt. That year, Brooks earned Second Team 3A All-State honors as a running back and punter for the Texas Sports Writers Association and 3A All-State honorable mention (running back) and First Team 3A All-State (punter) honors from the Associated Press. He was also the District MVP and a First Team All-District 14-3A selection. In 2018, when he rushed for 823 yards and nine touchdowns on 117 carries and caught 23 passes for 461 yards, he was a First Team All-District 14-3A selection as a running back and a Second Team selection as a punter. Brooks was also a First Team All-District basketball player.

Injuries & Off-Field: Didn’t play in six games in 2022, underwent hernia surgery after 2022 season, 2023 season ended with a torn ACL

Awards: N/A

Pros: No fumbles in college, hustled to recover two teammates’ fumbles against Alabama (2023), good density in his build, patient approach to the LOS as the play develops, vision to find cutback lanes, makes split-second reads and makes the right decision, comfortable squeezing between small gaps between the tackles, above-average contact balance, steps out of arm tackles, drags tacklers who go high, finishes falling forward, accelerates through contact, burst helps him reach the third level quickly, consistently makes first defender miss in space, impressive agility to execute jump cuts and halt momentum quickly, natural and light footwork, quick footwork on the move, euro step-like movement to make defenders miss one-on-one, subtle changes of direction to slip past defenders, nice wiggle in space at his size, excellent dead leg, throws shoulder and head fakes, good awareness in pass pro, football IQ shows up in pass pro, delivers impactful blocks in pass pro, bailed out Christian Jones with a block on Rondell Bothroyd (2023), occasionally runs drag routes from out wide or the slot, YAC threat leaking out of the backfield, examples of good hand catches

Cons: Limited special teams experience, not twitchy or sudden, lacks sudden explosiveness/acceleration, needs a bit of a runway, early contact prevents him from reaching top speed, caught from behind, lacks home run speed, lateral agility is average, lacks the elite speed and explosiveness to win the corner and turn upfield, doesn’t try to bounce runs outside, too willing to duck his head and take on contact rather than continuing to look for space, at times not aggressive or eager to hit in pass pro, hits with shoulder but doesn’t sustain blocks in pass pro, contact at the catch point causes drops, limited route tree and natural feel as a runner

Overview: Brooks is a well-built running back with good size and density. He hasn’t fumbled in his college career and even recovered two fumbles by teammates against Alabama (2023). Brooks takes a patient approach to the line of scrimmage as the play develops and uses his vision to find cutback lanes. He makes split-second decisions at a high level. However, he is too willing to drop his head and take on contact instead of trying to find more space. Brooks is comfortable squeezing through small gaps between the tackles. His contact balance and physicality shine during inside runs. He steps out of arm tackles, drags tacklers who go high, and finishes falling forward consistently. Brooks accelerates into contact, which makes him a problem for defensive backs. The redshirt sophomore lacks elite long speed, but his burst carries him to the defense’s third level. Once he hits his top speed, Brooks can fire off fancy footwork and subtle cuts to make defenders miss one-on-one in space. The first guy rarely brings him down thanks to decent agility, natural and light footwork, and quick feet that manipulate defenders. Brooks uses subtle changes of direction, dead legs, and shoulder and head fakes to slip past defenders at the second and third levels. The Texas native has good awareness and IQ in pass protection, but he prefers to hit with his shoulder instead of sustaining blocks. Brooks makes key blocks, but he often tries to avoid heavy contact. Texas occasionally allows him to run drag routes from out wide or the slot. There are plenty of examples of Brooks making natural hands catches, but contact at the catch point leads to him dropping the ball. The former four-star recruit is always a threat to create after the catch, but he runs a limited route tree. Brooks isn’t sudden or twitchy and lacks elite explosiveness and acceleration. He needs a runway to get going, and early contact disrupts his ability to reach his top speed. Brooks lacks the speed to finish long plays in the end zone since he gets caught from behind. He can’t bounce runs outside and beat defenders to the corner consistently. His lateral agility and bounce are average.

Overall, Brooks is a well-rounded north-to-south runner who offers an intriguing combination of size, contact balance, burst, receiving upside, and elusiveness in the open field. The redshirt sophomore isn’t elite in any single area, but his collective package of traits likely makes him this year’s version of Zach Charbonnet in terms of draft positioning.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rookie No. 2 option in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Size: 6'0", 207 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-23-23