CAREER NOTABLES ENTERING 2024 SEASON
Enters his final season of eligibility chasing the Texas Tech career rushing yards record set by Byron Hanspard (1994-96) … currently ranks seventh all-time with 3,052 career rushing yards … needs 1,167 rushing yards during his final season to tie Hanspard’s record of 4,219 yards from 1994-96 … heads into his final season ranked sixth all-time with 593 career rushing attempts, which is 196 shy of Ricky Williams’ record of 789 from 1997-01 … could potentially move into the top five in career attempts in the season opener as he is only 12 shy of DeAndre Washington (2011-15) for fifth place … needs one rushing touchdown to enter the top 10 on the career chart, which would match the likes of Billy Taylor (1974-77), Hanspard and Zebbie Lethridge (1994-97) … recorded 10 rushing touchdowns in 2023, giving him 28 now for his career … has 12 career 100-yard games, which ranks him sixth all-time in program history, trailing only the likes of Hanspard (21), James Gray (18), Morris (16) and James Hadnot (13) … will enter the top 10 on the total touchdowns list with three more trips to the end zone in 2024 … would tie Bobby Cavazos (1951-53), Baron Batch (2006, 2008-10) an Lyle Leong (2007-10) for a tie for ninth all-time with 32 total touchdowns … nearing the top 10 for career all-purpose yards with 3,422 as a Red Raider, which is 557 yards shy of matching Shannon Woods (2005-08) for 10th all-time in program history … will look to become only the fourth Red Raider in program history to lead the team in rushing in four different seasons, joining Taurean Henderson (2002-05), Ricky Williams (1997-98, 2000-01) and James Gray (1986-89).
2023 SEASON (SENIOR)
Put together one of the best seasons by a Red Raider running back in school history … emerged as one of the nation’s top offensive weapons as part of a run-heavy scheme during Big 12 play … member of head coach Joey McGuire’s captains circle of upperclassmen leaders … started in all 13 games overall at running back … recorded 290 carries for 1,538 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 118.3 yards per game, easily a career best … became just the fifth Red Raider in program history and the first since Ricky Williams to rush for 1,500 yards in a season … joined a prestigious list of Red Raider running backs at 1,500 rushers, a group that includes two Doak Walker winners in Byron Hanspard (1996) and Byron “Bam” Morris (1993 as well as Ricky Williams (1998) and James Gray (1989) … bulk of yardage came during Big 12 play thanks to seven 100-yard performances and two games with at least 150 rushing yards … hit the 100-yard rushing mark in eight different games overall with three of those reaching 150 yards … totaled at least 90 rushing yards in all nine Big 12 contests as well as in the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl versus Cal … averaged an impressive 130.6 rushing yards per game during league play alone as part of an expanded workload … number of carries increased to 25.7 attempts per game during Big 12 play, which was more than double his average during non-conference portion of the schedule (12.3) … joined both Williams (1998) and Hanspard (1996) as the only Red Raiders in the Big 12 era to make 250 or more rushing attempts in a season … received 20 or more carries in eight different games, all during Big 12 play or in the bowl win … recorded 30 or more attempts in four games, becoming the first Red Raider to do so since Hanspard had six such games in 1996 … the Red Raiders were 3-1 in games where he rushed 30 or more times … rushed for at least 10 yards in 37 carries and 20 yards nine different times … effective in the passing game as both a blocker and as a receiver out of the backfield with 29 receptions for 72 yards … caught at least one pass in all but one game with the exception being the non-conference finale against Tarleton State … caught 29 passes for 72 yards overall on the season … was Texas Tech’s highest-graded player on either side of the ball by Pro Football Focus at 90.1 overall … credited with 785 offensive snaps, the most by a non-offensive lineman … graded at 76.5 overall as a pass blocker, an area the Texas Tech coaching staff praised the highest … was PFF’s highest-graded running back in a power-five conference as a pass blocker among players who were called to protect at least 68 times on the year … led the country with 96 forced missed tackles in PFF’s rankings thanks in part to three games in double digits (Kansas State, BYU and TCU) … compiled 998 of his rushing yards after contact, which equated to nearly two-thirds of his total yardage … IN THE TEXAS TECH RECORD BOOK: ended the season ranked fourth all-time in single-season history with 1,538 rushing yards … trailed only the totals of Byron Hanspard (2,084 yards in 1996), Byron Morris (1,752 yards in 1993) and Ricky Williams (1,582 yards in 1998) … only the fifth 1,500-yard rusher in program history … also ended the season tied for fourth in single-season attempts with 290 carries … trailed only the totals from Hanspard (339 in 1996), Williams (336 in 1998) and Morris (208 in 1993) … entered the career record book for both rushing yards and attempts late in the season … IN NCAA RANKINGS: closed the season ranked fourth in the FBS for both total rushing yards (1,538) and rushing yards per game (118.3) … trailed only Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II (1,732), Troy’s Kimani Vidal (1,661) and Missouri’s Cody Schrader (1,627) in total rushing yards … was 19th nationally in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 123.9 yards a contest … his 1,175 rushing yards against conference opponents was the second-highest total in the FBS behind only Gordon II … ranked second in the FBS for total rushing attempts, trailing only Vidal (297) … was the only player in the FBS to have at least four games with 30 or more rushing attempts during the season … led the FBS with 96 forced miss tackles created according to Pro Football Focus, which was 18 more than any other power-five player … publication ranked him fourth in the FBS with 998 total yards after contact … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: was second in the league in both total rushing yards and rushing yards per game … was also fourth in all-purpose yards and per game, seventh in rushing touchdowns and 10th in total touchdowns (10) … led the league in total rushing attempts with five more than Gordon II … ranked third in the league in all-purpose yards (1,610) and was fourth in all-purpose yards per game (123.8) … was second in the league with 319 all-purpose plays … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: combined for only 110 rushing yards on 18 attempts over the first two games of the year with 11 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown at Wyoming (9/2) and seven for 71 yards against Oregon (9/9) … finished with 89 all-purpose yards versus the Ducks with four receptions for 18 yards … closed non-conference play with 19 carries for 158 rushing yards against Tarleton State (9/16) … marked his first career game with at least 150 rushing yards and his fifth 100-yard outing … was the most rushing yards in a game by a Red Raider since Justin Stockton totaled 161 on the ground at Kansas in 2017 … eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the first half alone, totaling 140 rushing yards before the break … was limited in the second half of the blowout victory … marked the first of four-consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards after hitting the mark in each of the first three Big 12 contests as well … became the first Red Raider to rush for 100 yards over four-consecutive games since Ricky Williams did so over six-straight contests from the 1997 season finale through the first five games of the 1998 campaign … totaled 149 rushing yards on 25 carries at West Virginia (9/23) and then 101 yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts in the win over Houston (9/30) … found the end zone twice in the first half for his lone multi-touchdown game of the season versus the Cougars … scored via his legs in each of the next seven games and in eight of the next nine contests to close the season … one of two 100-yard rushers in the Houston win, joining fellow running back Cam’Ron Valdez … marked only the third time in program history Texas Tech has boasted two 100-yard rushers as other two occurrences came in 1998 with Ricky Williams and Rob Peters versus Baylor and then 2012 with Eric Stephens and Kenny Williams versus New Mexico … carried the Red Raiders in the win at Baylor (10/7) with 31 carries for 170 yards and a touchdown … marked the first time a Red Raider had received 30 or more carries in a game since Sammy Morris had 33 in a win over Texas A&M in 1999 … marked the most yards by a red Raider since DeAndre Washington totaled 173 in the regular-season finale at Texas in 2015 … streak of 100-yard outings ended the next week versus Kansas State (10/14) after carrying 17 times for 98 yards and a touchdown … snuck in the end zone from two yards out with only 23 seconds remaining until the half, cutting K-State’s lead to 17-14 at the break … hit the 30-carry mark again at BYU (10/21), finishing with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries … carried eight times for 41 yards on Texas Tech’s opening drive alone … instrumental in the Red Raiders’ strong November, averaging 139.0 rushing yards per game in the month and 153.7 yards per game over a three-game winning streak to reach bowl eligibility … started the month with 31 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown in the Thursday night win over TCU (11/2) … scored the go-ahead touchdown on a nine-yard scamper with six seconds remaining in the third quarter … surpassed Baron Batch for 10th all-time on the Texas Tech career rushing list in the win … followed with a career-high 33 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown a week later at Kansas (11/11) … marked the first time a Red Raider received 30 or more carries over three-consecutive games since Byron Hanspard did so over four-straight games in 1996 … reached the 100-yard mark in the first half again with 22 carries for 107 yards in the first 30 minutes alone … carried six times (of seven plays) on Texas Tech’s opening drive, capping it with a five-yard touchdown run to score for a sixth-straight game … put together his best performance of the season to push the Red Raiders to bowl eligibility versus UCF (11/18), finishing with a career-high 182 rushing yards and a touchdown off 24 carries … marked the most rushing yards by a Red Raider since DeAndre Washington had 248 yards versus Kansas State in 2015 … gave the Red Raiders their first lead on a 13-yard rushing touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter … marked the first time a Red Raider had rushed for a touchdown in seven-straight games since Eric Stephens did so between the last two games of the 2010 season and the first five of the 2011 campaign … was the first time a Red Raider has found the end zone on the ground over seven-consecutive games in the same season since Taurean Heanderson over the final seven games of the 2004 season … escaped for a 46-yard rush in the first quarter, which was his longest attempt of the season … nearly ended the regular season with another 100-yard game, finishing with 95 yards on 19 carries at Texas (11/24) … recorded the same rushing total in the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl versus Cal (12/16), totaling 95 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries … touchdown came via a seven-yard rush late in the third quarter to give the Red Raiders a 31-14 lead … was the 11th-consecutive game to end the season with 90 rushing yards or more … eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards in the second quarter, becoming the seventh Red Raider in program history to reach the mark … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 first team by the conference coaches and Associated Press … became the first Red Raider running back to earn first team accolades since DeAndre Washington in 2015 and the fifth to do so in the Big 12 era, joining Taurean Henderson (2005), Ricky Williams (2001) and Byron Hanspard (1996) … tabbed the Offensive Player of the Year and the top running back by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football … was on the DCTF All-Texas first team … semifinalist for both the Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards … selected to the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list prior to the season as well … SENIOR DECISION: elected to utilize an extra season of eligibility to return for the 2024 season where he is expected to be among the nation’s top players.
2022 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Finished as the Red Raiders team leader in rushing yards for a second-consecutive season … formed one of the top 1-2 running back combos in the country with SaRodorick Thompson … appeared in all 13 games with six starts … earned the team rushing title by only seven yards after carrying 147 times for 691 yards and seven touchdowns … was the team leader in carries and shared the team high for rushing touchdowns with Thompson … marked only the fourth time in the Big 12 era Texas Tech has featured a pair of 600-yard rushers in the same season (2008, 2010, 2017) … received 10 or more carries in nine games overall with one 100-yard rushing performance … hit the 100-yard mark for all-purpose yards four times on the year … had 17 of his carries go for at least 10 yards with five at 20 or more yards and two for 30 yards … also on the receiving end of 26 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown … was sixth on the team for receptions and led all running backs … was Texas Tech’s highest-graded offensive player, finishing at 79.0 by Pro Football Focus … credited with playing in 522 offensive plays, which trailed only Jerand Bradley and Myles Price among skill position players … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: closed the season ranked seventh in the league for rushing yards, eighth in rushing yards per game (53.2), 10th in total touchdowns (8) and 12th for rushing touchdowns (7) … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: limited in the season opener due to a preseason injury, carrying only six times for 50 yards … three of those carries resulted in a touchdown, however, marking a career high … found the end zone from 14, 3 and 23 yards out, all in the first half as the Red Raiders took a commanding 42-10 lead … was back to full speed a week later with a career-high 17 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown as well as a career-high five receptions for 34 yards … touchdown was via a four-yard run in the first overtime that tied the game heading into a second extra period … matched his career high with five receptions and made a new mark with 44 receiving yards the following week at N.C. State (9/17) to go along with four carries for four yards … opened Big 12 play with 12 carries for 36 yards and three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown … was the first receiving touchdown of his career, which came on a 17-yard strike out of the backfield from Donovan Smith early in the second quarter … had 10 carries for 39 yards and four receptions for five yards at Kansas State (10/1) … limited to only four carries for eight yards at Oklahoma State (10/8) … put together his best game of the season in the rout over West Virginia (10/22), carrying 17 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns … had each of Texas Tech’s first two touchdowns in the win, scampering into the end zone from 19 yards and one yard out early in the first quarter … almost hit the 100-yard mark again the next week with 16 carries for 98 yards against Baylor (10/29) with two catches for 17 yards … received double-digit carries in six of the final seven games of the season with 10 for 59 yards at TCU (11/5) and 16 for 51 yards and a touchdown versus Kansas (11/12) … touchdown sealed the win over the Jayhawks as it came on a five-yard run with only 3:33 remaining … only game without double-digit attempts came at Iowa State (11/19) with nine carries for 45 yards … closed the regular season with 12 carries for 26 yards in the win over Oklahoma (11/26) … one of the top performers in the TaxAct Texas Bowl versus Ole Miss (12/28), finishing with 14 carries for 90 yards … escaped on a 37-yard run late in the first quarter that set up a Trey Wolff field goal and marked his longest of the season … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized for his work in the classroom as part of the Academic All-Big 12 first team.
2021 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Led the Red Raiders in rushing yards as a sophomore as part of a breakout season … appeared in only nine games overall with four starts … missed a four-game stretch to start Big 12 play due to injury … still managed to total 568 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries, while also catching six passes for 58 yards out of the backfield … just edged teammate SaRodorick Thompson for the rushing title by 68 yards after Thompson led the Red Raiders the previous two seasons … key component in a Texas Tech rushing attack that ranked tied for 20th nationally in rushing touchdowns as a team … also returned one kick for 21 yards as part of Texas Tech’s rotation of returnees … was second on the team for both carries and rushing touchdowns and third for scoring (42 points) … led the team in rushing yards per game (63.1), yards per rushing attempt (6.5) and had the longest rush by any Red Raider on the year (67 yards) … eclipsed the 100-yard mark three times on the season, which led the team … finished with at least 40 rushing yards in six games overall … found the end zone on the ground in five different games … received at least 10 carries in four games with two more games at nine attempts … IN NCAA RANKINGS: ranked tied for 10th nationally with four rushes of at least 40 yards … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: was tied for fourth in the league for rushing attempts of at least 40 yards and was 11th for rushing touchdowns … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the season with an impressive 134 yards and two touchdowns off 15 carries in the come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4) … marked the first 100-yard outing of his career and his second multi-touchdown performance … both touchdowns came via long runs after finding the end zone via a 41-yard scamper early in the second quarter and then a 44-yard sprint to seal the victory with one minute remaining … was the most rushing yards by a Red Raider in a season opener since Ricky Williams went for 251 yards in 1998 against UTEP … put together another 100-yard performance the following week against Stephen F. Austin (9/11) with 103 yards and two touchdowns off 11 carries … his 237 rushing yards marked the most by a Red Raider through two games since Ricky Williams in 1998 … victory over Stephen F. Austin featured a 67-yard touchdown run that was the longest of his career … closed non-conference play with nine carries for 47 yards in win over Florida International (9/18) … proceeded to miss the next four games to start Big 12 play due to injury … returned against Kansas State (10/23), carrying four times for 33 yards, including one for 23 yards … had six carries for 23 yards, a reception for five yards and also returned a kick for 21 yards in loss at Oklahoma (10/23) … played crucial role in win over Iowa State (11/13) with nine carries for 80 yards and a touchdown as well as two catches for 21 yards … touchdown was Texas Tech’s first on the afternoon, coming on a 14-yard scamper to close the opening drive … found the end zone for the final time on the year in regular-season finale at Baylor (11/27) as part of 14 carries for 40 yards … touchdown was Texas Tech’s first on the day, cutting its deficit to 17-10 just before halftime off a 1-yard carry … hit the 100-yard mark for the third and final time on the season in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Mississippi State (12/28) … carried a career-high 16 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in the win … marked the most rushing yards by a Red Raider in a bowl since Eric Stephens rushed for 126 yards in the 2010 TicketCity Bowl versus Northwestern … had the first touchdown of the night for the Red Raiders, scoring from 19 yards out to cap a strong opening drive … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized on the Academic All-Big 12 first team.
2020 SEAS0N (FRESHMAN)
An instant impact for the Red Raiders in the backfield as only a true freshman … appeared in all 10 games, totaling 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns on only 69 carries … ranked second on the team in rushing touchdowns and carries and third in rushing yards … added 13 catches for 61 yards through the air … bulk of yardage came during the back half of the Big 12 schedule … received 10 or more carries in four different games … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: kicked off his Red Raider career with eight carries for 25 yards and a touchdown versus Houston Baptist (9/12), while also catching two passes for 26 yards … found the end zone from 1-yard out to give the Red Raiders a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter … received only one carry the next three games before attempting 12 rushes for 44 yards and a touchdown in the win over West Virginia (10/24) … cut West Virginia’s lead to 27-20 early in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown scamper … had another 12 carries the following week versus Oklahoma (10/31), resulting in 30 yards … also caught three passes for 19 yards against the Sooners … was on the receiving end of 14 carries in the win over Baylor (11/14) as he totaled 48 yards on the ground and two touchdowns … marked the first multi-touchdown game of his career … one of five Red Raiders to record a multi-touchdown game on the year, either rushing or through the air … both touchdowns came in the second half, first on a 1-yard carry with 8:42 remaining in third quarter and then again on a two-yard run with 11:48 remaining in the game … carried six times for 29 yards at Oklahoma State (11/28), while also adding a season-high four receptions … closed the year with season highs for his 16 carries and 79 rushing yards in the win over Kansas (12/5) ... AWARDS AND HONORS: honored on the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Manor High School in Manor, Texas … four-year letterwinner for Manor’s varsity football program … one of the best running backs in the state of Texas with three seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards … rushed for 1,807 yards on 239 carries his senior year while totaling 26 total touchdowns … helped lead Manor to the state quarterfinals of the Class 5A Division I bracket … closed his prep career with more than 4,400 rushing yards and 65 total touchdowns … earned first team All-District honors as both a junior and sophomore … totaled 1,201 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground as a junior in 2018, while adding 267 receiving yards and four touchdowns off 17 receptions … became a strong presence in Manor’s offense as a sophomore with 1,150 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns off 141 carries … posted 107 receiving yards and a touchdown that season off 13 catches as well … debut on the varsity came as only a freshman, posting 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns off 66 carries and 42 receiving yards off eight receptions … three-star prospect according to 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … ranked as the No. 36 running back in the 2020 class by ESPN … listed at No. 69 among the top players in Texas according to both ESPN and Rivals … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Arizona, Arkansas, Boston College, California, Colorado, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, SMU, TCU, Utah, Vanderbilt.
PERSONAL
Tahj Brooks ... son of Tiffani and Kevin Brooks ... has a sister named Ceecee ... majoring in Sport Management.