Brooks will start Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Carolina's original plan was for Brooks to mix in alongside Chuba Hubbard, but head coach Dave Canales revealed Thursday that Hubbard is considered week-to-week due to a hamstring injury, per Mike Kaye of ESPN.com. While Hubbard is expected to be ready for Week 1 action, per Canales via Joe Person of The Athletic, his current absence opens the door for Brooks to make a case for the top spot on a running back depth chart that also includes Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon.