The Oklahoma Sooners will have the services of one of their youngest players over the final two weeks of the season. True freshman [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] broke onto the scene against Maine and Missouri, and as OU chases a bowl berth, the team has decided to burn his redshirt in 2024 and play him in the final two games.
Robinson spoke about his redshirt on Monday with reporters, saying that head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] approached him about the decision to shut it down or keep playing.”
I respect BV coming up to me asking, and DeMarco, you know, asking me about this decision,” Robinson said. “But I made the decision to keep playing, help this team out. I love this team a lot; and make sure the seniors leave on at least six…”
Robinson was the feature back on Oklahoma’s best offensive drive of the game against Missouri, as offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley finally fed the young running back, and he responded by taking them down the field. That drive ended on the halfback pass from Taylor Tatum to Jackson Arnold that tied the game. It was the only touchdown OU’s offense scored all night.
Robinson elaborated on the process of his choice to use up the redshirt and continue to help this year’s team.
“It was a great feeling, them coming to me about it instead of me going to them,” Robinson said. “I feel like they’ve got a good understanding, just respect me about it … it took me a couple days to think about it, think about this decision.”
Robinson’s redshirt was only in question because Murray played him for two meaningless snaps in multiple-score losses against Texas and Ole Miss earlier this year. Counting the Maine and Missouri games, that’s four games, meaning if he played at all the rest of the regular season, his redshirt would be gone.
It’s a similar issue that faced Arnold last season. He had to come in against BYU when Dillon Gabriel was injured, burning his redshirt because the coaches opted to use Arnold on a handful of snaps running the ball against SMU and Iowa State.
Robinson will now be available for the Alabama and LSU games as OU tries to secure bowl eligibility in 2024.
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