On Tuesday night, the college football world witnessed a non-quarterback win the Heisman Memorial Trophy for the first time since Derrick Henry pulled it off in 2015. Wide receiver Devonta Smith became the third non-quarterback to pull this off since 2009. Each of the trio played at Alabama. Could a Texas Longhorn be the next?
Texas running back Bijan Robinson is atop the list for the early 2021 contenders. It should come as no surprise given his performances down the stretch. In the final two games alone, Robinson accumulated 443 yards of offense and six touchdowns.
Robinson exploded in the last month of his true freshman season as the centerpiece of the Longhorns’ offense, running for 542 yards (11.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. The chance to get more touches as a sophomore and be part of new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s offensive system makes Robinson an interesting Heisman contender. – Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports
With the new head coach in Sarkisian, Robinson should have ample opportunities to showcase his skills. Of the top five Heisman finalists, three were playing in Sarkisian’s system at Alabama. You can also look at how running backs have performed for him.
Stay Tuned, @TexasFootball! #AllGasNoBrakes @CoachSark đ¤đž pic.twitter.com/KgAIt3zeZb
— Stan Drayton (@StanDraytonUT) January 6, 2021
One should fully expect that Robinson will be the feature back and run wild for his new head coach. As Sarkisian would say, “All gas, no brakes.” If Robinson were to pull it off he would be the third Longhorns to achieve this feat and the three would each be running backs. Ricky Williams won it in 1998 and Earl Campbell in 1977.
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.
Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Longhorns Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.