For the last five seasons, Elijah Robinson has served as Texas A&M’s defensive line coach and lead recruiter for then-head coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired after six seasons on Nov. 12. Immediately after Fisher’s dismissal, Robinson was named as the A&M’s interim coach, leading the Aggies to a 1-1 record after falling to LSU in the season finale.
Just two weeks later, on Nov. 27, Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork and the Board of Regents agreed to terms with new head football coach Mike Elko, leading to his first task that, at the time, looked vital to aiding his transition to provide the roster, and the 2024 recruiting class, a much-needed safety net: keep Elijah Robinson on staff.
Throughout his time in College Station, Robinson has become a favorite in the locker room and a proven relationship builder on the recruiting trail, consistently helping Fisher haul in some of the top recruiting classes in the country year after year.
However, just days after rumors swirled stating that Robinson was a sure bet to stay with the program, the news that Syracuse had hired Fran Brown as their next head coach, a close friend of Robinson’s after coaching together nearly a decade ago, everything changed.
On Sunday, Dec. 3, it was reported that Robinson had accepted the role as Syracuses’ next defensive coordinator but would happily stay on to coach the team for the Aggies Dec. 27 bowl game, which, at the time, seemed like a great idea.
During a press conference last Tuesday, Robinson was asked if his new position would result in potentially “poaching” players on the Aggies roster and future recruits. Trusting his word, as usual, Robinson denied that he would engage in the said activity:
“I will not encourage anyone. Those guys have to make the decision to go into the portal on their own. I will not at any point say, ‘Come with me.’ I have too much respect for the program and the university.”
Among the 13 players who have entered the transfer portal, none have announced that they’ll join Robinson just yet, but one former 2024 commit, four-star WR Jaylan Hornsby, flipped his commitment to Syracuse on Sunday afternoon.
On the surface, Hornsby likely made his decision based on early playing time, but still, the coincidence is jarring. This trend continued to fester on Wednesday as an image showed Robinson, in Syracuse gear, visiting 2024 five-star DL and Aggie commit Dominick McKinley and his brother, 2026 DL Darryus McKinley, on behalf of the program, while simultaneously coaching the Aggies who begin practice for the bowl game this week.
Again, no one is personally attacking Elijah Robinson, who is simply doing his job. Still, the fact that many of us were blindsided by the recruiting ace’s natural influence without blatantly attempting to damage A&M falls on Ross Bjork, who probably should have graciously cut ties with Robinson immediately after accepting his new position.
Nothing can be done to curb potential losses at this point, but this will likely serve as a cautionary example to programs that fail to look past personal relationships once a new regime enters the picture.
Robinson will coach his final game for Texas A&M in the TexAct Texas bowl vs. Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The game will air on ESPN.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.