Freshman Spotlight: Bijan Robinson, Texas

As we get ready for the 2020 season at CFB Saturdays we will be spotlighting some of the key freshman we expect to play a big role for their teams this season. We are looking at highly talented players who have an opportunity to play and make an impact this fall. Today we will put the freshman spotlight on Bijan Robinson and see what the talented RB will bring to the Texas Longhorns backfield.

Background

Bijan Robinson is the #15 ranked player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. He is from Tucson, Arizona where he had a prolific high school career, rushing for over 2,000 yards 3 seasons in a row. Robinson had offers from schools across the country but committed to the Longhorns in August of 2019. Robinson signed his letter of intent and is expected to enroll at Texas this summer. The 6’0″ 200 pound Robinson is the gem of the Longhorn’s 2020 recruiting class and will be counted on to make an immediate impact.

Scouting Report

Robinson has all the tools you look for in a high school running back. He accelerates well and shoots through the holes quickly and decisively, it doesn’t take long for Robinson to be 8 to 10 yards down field and wreaking havoc in the secondary. Robinson also has the long speed to then continue to accelerate and beat the safety to the spot and pull away for long scores. The best part of Robinson’s game though is his lateral agility, defenders can never square him up and are often left grasping the air. It’s as if he just flips the video game analog stick and cuts away from the tacklers. The combination of agility, acceleration and speed is exciting enough but that’s not all he can do.

Bijan has a sturdy, strong frame that he will continue to grow into. He is at 200 lbs now but could play at 215 to 220 without losing any quickness. That quickness combined with the power he generates through his tremendous acceleration and frame makes for a frightful combination. He has shown the ability to catch the ball well and excelled in 7 on 7 camps, where his receiving skills were an asset to his team. It’s hard to find any weaknesses in Robinson’s game but we do like to nitpick and the only cause for concern is the quality of competition he played against. Robinson is clearly the best player on the field every game, and that may continue at Texas, but the gap will shrink in the college game. How Bijan is able to adjust to the improved talent on defense and put those incredible tools to work will determine how successful he can be.

Outlook

The Longhorns struggled at the running back position in 2019. They did not have a 1,000 yard rusher and because of injuries and a lack of depth at the position had to move quarterback Roschon Johnson to running back. Sophomore Keaontay Ingram (#21 RB in our rankings) led the way in the backfield; we like him but feel he is an above average player but unspectacular. Robinson should add a much needed big play threat to the Texas backfield immediately. Combined with the strong running of Ingram and the running threat of Quarterback Sam Ehlinger (#9 in our rankings), Robinson will create big plays and space for his backfield mates, improving the Texas running game immensely.

Early in the season we expect Robinson to share time in the backfield as the Longhorns will want to avoid wearing down the true freshman. However, it will be difficult for the staff to ignore the versatility and explosive ability he brings to the offense. As the season goes forward Robinson’s impact and playing time should continue to increase; players who make big plays are difficult to leave on the sideline and Robinson will showoff his play-making ability sooner than later. By the end of the year we expect Robinson to be the feature back in the Texas backfield and one of the best in the country. He has the tools to be an instant impact player and barring injury Bijan Robinson will be reeling off highlight reel plays for the Longhorns in 2020.

To see other Freshman Spotlight Articles click here.

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Texas Longhorns Image by Katie Haugland Bowen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.