Texas Football: Where 247Sports ranked Bijan Robinson for 2020 season

A rather intriguing projection of the country’s top 2020 running backs from 247Sports included Texas football RB Bijan Robinson.

There was a very surprising name out of the Texas football program that was included in the midst of the best running backs for the coming season on a list released by 247Sports on April 16. Texas has a potential three-headed monster in the running back room this year, but it’s hard to know which of that trio will emerge as the most productive.

This list from 247Sports actually placed the youngest of the three running backs out of the Texas Longhorns football program as their prediction for the most productive of the coming season. The ranking from 247Sports projected out the top 25 running backs for the 2020 college football season.

A name from the Longhorns that just barely stayed within the top 25 is incoming freshman former five-star recruit Bijan Robinson. The 6-foot Salpointe Catholic product and Tucson, AZ, native ranked as the nation’s top 2020 running back coming out of high school.

Robinson made it on this list over the likes of rising junior standout Texas running back Keaontay Ingram and the former true freshman converted quarterback breakthrough Roschon Johnson. Since head coach Tom Herman and recently hired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich intend to keep Roschon at running back and Ingram had a solid 2019 season, there’s a lot for Robinson to compete with during his first year on the Forty Acres.

However, the list from 247Sports did rank Robinson as the projected No. 23 running back in the entire country during the 2020 season. He ranked just ahead of the Tennessee Volunteers rising sophomore Eric Gray and Central Michigan Chippewas rising junior Kobe Lewis.

Here’s what this piece from 247Sports had to say on where they placed Robinson on the ranking.

"One of two true freshman in this Top 25, Robinson — a five-star — could flourish as a first-year player with the Longhorns after rushing for more than 7,000 yards at the prep level. He was the crown jewel in an impressive haul for Tom Herman."

Former Oklahoma Sooners running back Trey Sermon, recently transferred to the Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked just ahead of Robinson at No. 21 on the list and Kennedy Brooks was at No. 20. Isaiah Spiller of the Texas A&M Aggies ranked at No. 18.

Others from the Big 12 included Pooka Williams of the Kansas Jayhawks (No. 13), Breece Hall of the Iowa State Cyclones (No. 10), and Chuba Hubbard of the Oklahoma State Cowboys (No. 1). Hubbard and Williams are the most well known and possess the most longevity in terms of Big 12 running back success up to this point.

Robinson was the only Longhorn running back that was projected to be among the top 25 at the position in the country this coming season. Texas has a number of running backs that could make an enormous impact, though.

Ingram scampered for 853 rushing yards and tallied up well over 1,000 total yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. Meanwhile, Roschon totaled up 807 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Both Ingram and Johnson averaged more than five yards per carry last year too.

Robinson clearly has the talent level to compete with the likes of Ingram and Johnson, but it won’t be easy. The Longhorns had one of their most potent running back combinations in recent memory last season, and it won’t be a clear path to unseat them this coming season.