Texas Football: 5 upperclassmen that could opt out of the bowl game

Bijan Robinson, RB

The second of two running backs on this list, and the last player of note for the Longhorns among the upperclassmen that could opt out of the Alamo Bowl this postseason is star junior Bijan Robinson.

There are multiple reasons why Bijan would want to opt out of the bowl game for the Longhorns.

First and foremost, Bijan is almost unanimously pegged by the major NFL Draft news outlets as a top-10 talent in the 2023 class. And that will most likely equate to Bijan getting picked in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

After dealing with a few injury issues in the last couple of years, I don’t know why Bijan would want to take any more risks in this regard in the postseason.

Secondly, it could benefit Bijan if he takes some time to work on his game and keep his focus solely on preparing his mind and body for the draft scouting process. Getting the necessary focus and rest for the long draft scouting process that lies ahead could be the best route for Bijan in terms of his future success.

Those are definitely the top two reasons why Bijan would want to opt-out of the Alamo Bowl.

And unless there is really something that Bijan is out to prove after getting snubbed from the four Heisman finalists that will be present in New York City in the next week, there aren’t many reasons I could think as to why he would play in the Alamo Bowl. If Bijan did play in the Alamo Bowl, though, he would probably eclipse the mark of 2,000 total yards from scrimmage for the season.

Maybe that would be a motivating factor for him to play in this game.

More than anything, though, the main reason why I think that Bijan could suit up for the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl is the want for him to finish out his Texas career by winning a postseason game. Bijan showed his true colors in the last few seasons as a true team player that would do anything to help the Longhorns find more success in the win column.

But the fact of the matter is that Bijan has more reasons to sit out of the Alamo Bowl than he does to participate. Bijan already has one Alamo Bowl win under his belt and he’s taken a lot of licks this season.

If Bijan does opt out of the Alamo Bowl, that would leave Texas without its top two running backs for the postseason. That would mean sophomore running back Jonathon Brooks and redshirt junior speedster Keilan Robinson would be the top guys to watch in the Alamo Bowl.

Brooks played well when given the chance in the last two seasons. He’s averaged more than five yards per carry in each of the six games he got carries since last fall.

And we all know the versatility and explosiveness that Keilan brings to the table. Keilan can pose a threat as a ball carrier out of the backfield or as a receiver motioned out wide. I would also anticipate Keilan getting involved in the screen game out of the backfield a few times if Bijan opts out of the bowl game.