Texas Football: 5-Star RB signee Bijan Robinson can be program saving talent

The top rated signee in the 2020 Texas football recruiting class with the Early Signing Period upon us is 5-Star RB Bijan Robinson.

The Texas football program is starting to officially lock in their 2020 recruiting class, with the Early Signing Period beginning on Dec. 18. This is the first opportunity for head coach Tom Herman and co. to lock in various signed National Letters of Intent for their 2020 recruiting class.

The first day of the Early Signing Period would have to be considered a success for the Texas Longhorns football program. Every single one of the 16 commits the Longhorns had in their 2020 recruiting class signed their letter of intent on Dec. 18. Despite all the recent coaching turnover, the Longhorns managed to hang onto a top 10 ranked recruiting class in the nation. And there’s still room to add onto this group.

However, the one name that sticks out above the rest is five-star Salpointe Catholic running back Bijan Robinson. As the only five-star prospect in this 2020 Texas recruiting class thus far, and by far the highest rated commit, Robinson could become the face of the program quickly. He’s one of the highest rated commits for the Longhorns over the last decade. He’ll be a valuable piece for Herman and the Longhorns well into the future.

Robinson ranks as the nation’s No. 15 2020 high school prospect and the No. 2 running back. Since the Longhorns were eliminated among the last finalist cut for the nation’s top rated running back, Zachary Evans, Robinson is about as good as it gets. And Evans is only rated one spot higher among all of the 2020 high school prospects than Robinson.

And with how much youth the Longhorns have in their running back room set for next year, there’s a lot of potential that Robinson can spearhead. Texas should have the 2019 four-star Georgia native running back signee Derrian Brown in the mix. And to-be junior Keaontay Ingram is a solid reliable option for the Longhorns as a starting running back.

But Robinson should be the future running back that this offense revolves around. It’s insane to think about what the Longhorns could be working with next season between to-be redshirt freshman running back Jordan Whittington and to-be true freshman Robinson.

Whoever Herman picks to be his next offensive coordinator has a great weapon coming to campus in the 6-foot-2 and 200 pound Robinson. The Tucson, AZ, native racked up a mind-boggling more than 2,500 total yards from scrimmage and 41 total touchdowns during his senior season at Salpointe Catholic. He dominated the competition in Arizona High School Football.

Moreover, Robinson has good hands and while he needs to improve as a route runner and pass blocker, he’s very serviceable when utilized away from the ground game. His physical tools and large frame also make him a more usable wide receiver in multiple different looks in the passing game.

Texas landed Robinson over the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide, USC Trojans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas A&M Aggies. He might be the biggest get for the Longhorns during the Herman-era too.

There’s a good chance that Robinson could draw more talent into this 2020 recruiting class for Texas too. He’s an attractive prospect to build around, and should inspire confidence as to where this Texas team is headed on the offensive side of the ball, at least for the next three or four years.