Sarod Baker Shatters DeSoto Rushing Record with 3,206 Yards in 2025

The number that changed everything at DeSoto is 3,206. That is how many rushing yards junior Sarod Baker accumulated during the 2025 season — 1,600 in the regular season and another 1,600 across six playoff games — shattering the Eagles' previous school record of 2,084 yards and announcing himself as one of the premier running back prospects in the country.

The original plan heading into the season called for a two-headed backfield attack, but when Myson Johnson Cook transferred out of state, the entire offensive load shifted to Baker. He carried it without hesitation. Head coach Claude Mathis, who has built DeSoto into one of the most respected programs in Texas — nicknamed "the U" for its pipeline of college and NFL talent — said Baker's response to the added responsibility was immediate and unequivocal. "Yes, sir, coach, I can handle it. I can do it," Baker told him. And he did.

Baker's coaches describe him as a prototype back — vision, durability, speed that opponents underestimate, and the ability to create in the passing game as well as between the tackles. "You're not going to tackle him one on one," Mathis said. "He's a special kind of back, but he's all in one."

Behind the production is a deeply personal story. Baker lost his mother, Sakina, when he was just ten years old. He still visits her Facebook page, where old posts about his early athletic promise serve as a constant source of motivation. "She meant everything to me," Baker said. "That's what keeps me motivated."

Baker has committed to Texas Tech, where he will join Joey Maguire's program. At DeSoto, a school that has sent players to the NFL on a regular basis, his coaches believe he is next in line. "When you see the great players that have played in the NFL from DeSoto," Mathis said, "Sarod Baker has a chance to play on Sundays."