Texas Tech senior Tahj Brooks will utilize his final year of eligibility where he will contend for the school’s career rushing record
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech senior running back Tahj Brooks announced Monday he will utilize his final year of eligibility and return for the 2024 football season where he will rank among the nation’s top rushing threats.
Brooks, an All-Big 12 first team honoree and Doak Walker Award semifinalist this season, enters the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday as the nation’s fourth-leading rusher after totaling 1,443 yards on the ground this season. He currently ranks sixth on the Texas Tech single-season chart and could potentially move to as high as third with another strong performance against Cal.
“This is an exciting day for our program with Tahj announcing his return for next season,” head coach Joey McGuire said. “From our conversations in recent weeks, it was clear that Tahj wants to leave a legacy here at Texas Tech and that a return for next season would help him do just that. Not only is Tahj one of the nation’s top running backs, but he is a phenomenal teammate and leader of this program.”
Regardless of his performance against Cal, Brooks will enter the 2024 season with an opportunity to break the Texas Tech career rushing record of 4,219 yards that was set by Doak Walker winner Byron Hanspard from 1994-96. Brooks enters the bowl game with 2,957 rushing yards over his career as he needs 43 yards to become the seventh Red Raider in history to reach the 3,000-yard mark.
Brooks has proved to be among the most-elusive rushers in the country this season as he enters the postseason as the FBS leader with 91 forced missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. Brooks, who is fourth in the FBS with 919 yards after contact, is the only power-five player with 70 or more forced missed tackles this season.
Brooks registered eight 100-yard games this season with seven coming during Big 12 play where he averaged 130.6 rushing yards per game. Brooks amassed 1,175 rushing yards against conference opponents, which ranks second in the FBS behind only Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II, the eventual winner of the Doak Walker Award.
Brooks, a native of Manor in the Austin area, found the end zone via the ground in seven-consecutive games during Big 12 play en route to becoming the first Red Raider to do so in a single season since Taurean Henderson in 2004. He is only Texas Tech’s second 1,000-yard rusher since the Red Raiders moved to a spread offense prior to the 2000 season.
Kickoff between Texas Tech and Cal is slated for 8:15 p.m. Saturday night at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Coverage will be provided nationally on ESPN and the Texas Tech Sports Network.
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