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Texas running back Bijan Robinson could have been used more frequently under former head coach Tom Herman, but his freshman numbers were still eye-popping.
The former five-star recruit and nation’s top running back out of the 2020 class dominated the final few weeks of the season when he was Texas’ featured back. Even while used sparingly early on, Robinson’s rare athleticism, burst, and yards after contact were on full display.
Robinson concluded his freshman campaign with 899 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns. He was twice named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (West Virginia and Kansas State), was awarded the Valero Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP, and earned honorable mention as Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
The Tucson, Arizona, native set the school record for yards per carry in a game with 19.1 against Kansas State and yards per carry for a season with 8.2. On top of that, Robinson averaged 8.9 yards per touch — that’s nearly a first down every single time he touched the ball.
Robinson recorded 530 yards after contact and 220 yards after the catch. He was one of the Longhorns most explosive players in 2020 and is widely projected to increase those numbers under new head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Although Robinson has been mentioned among the national media as a Heisman contender for 2021, he was inexcusably snubbed from PFF’s ranking of the top returning running backs for next season.
Take a look at PFF’s top 10 returning running backs below.
- Tank Bigsby, Auburn
- Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
- Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
- Brian Robinson. Jr., Alabama
- Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
- Breece Hall, Iowa State
- Max Borghi, Washington State
- Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky
- Tyler Allgeier, BYU
- Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
PFF noted that the list is based on several factors including the players PFF grade and other advanced metrics. However, Robinson took advantage of every opportunity presented to him and he could easily be mentioned among the top five players at his position in all of college football.