Scouting Profile: Tahj Brooks - RB - Texas Tech
Sales Pitch: Patient gap scheme runner with a thick powerful frame. Limited burst and speed will force him into a rotational role, but has the early down ability to shoulder 20+ carries.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Tahj Brooks is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of Texas. He leaves Texas Tech as their all-time rushing leader with 34 starts under his belt. Brooks is a two time All-Big 12 honoree and Doak Walker semi-finalist, after posting back to back 1,500 yard seasons for the Red Raiders.
Brooks is a thick powerful runner with surprising quickness and agility for his size. He has shown the ability to shoulder the lead role in a backfield for multiple years, with 3 straight 100+ carry seasons. Brooks is at his best running between the tackles on gap runs and inside zone. He is a patient runner who hugs tight to his blockers and lets them develop before attacking a lane. He has quick feet that allow him to swiftly navigate traffic with a innate sense of where holes will open up. Brook’s isn’t the most explosive back, but displays a stellar jump cut to make defenders miss in the hole and to access cutback lanes. The primary way he breaks tackles though, is with his size and contact balance. His compact frame easily runs through arm tackles in the hole and a strong stiff-arm keeps DBs off his legs in space. He also uses his low center of gravity and leg drive to finish runs falling forward, with a good sense of the sticks in short yardage.
Brooks is a prototypical power back who lacks speed or burst as a runner. He doesn’t project well into outsize zone schemes, because he lacks the juice to access the necessary cutback lanes in those types of offenses. Brooks will never be a big play threat as a runner. He lacks that extra gear to shoot through the hole and separate from defenses at the 2nd level or to the edge. Brooks is a functional pass catcher, but doesn’t project to be a difference maker out of the backfield or when split out wide away from the formation. While he has his moments in pass pro, delayed reaction times and average redirect speed result in him setting shallow pockets versus the blitz.
Brooks profiles best as a early down runner in a gap scheme. While he lacks the juice or 3rd down ability to be a true workhorse, his vision and contact balance should be able to handle the bulk of a rotations’ workload. Brooks projects as a Day-3 pick for a gap scheme team looking for a cheap ball carrier to soak up touches.