Bijan Robinson not named top five returning running back by PFF

Griffin McVeigh
·2 min read
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When Texas landed five-star Bijan Robinson over Ohio State, it was a big win for Stan Drayton. The best running back in the country was going to play college football in Austin for at least three seasons.

In year one, Robinson took some time to get on the field. Drayton and Tom Herman wanted to make sure he was ready. Robinson proved when given the opportunity he should have been getting snaps a lot sooner.

He finished with 703 yards and four touchdowns. Robinson’s 8.2 yards per carry broke a Texas school record for any classification, not just a freshman. A special player was brewing for the Longhorns and a lot of hype has carried over into spring practice with Steve Sarkisian.

Unless you’re PFF.

According to the website, Robinson is not a top-five returning running back in the country for this upcoming season. In fact, two Big 12 backs make the list before the non-quarterback favorite to win the Heisman.

Tank Bigsby (Auburn), Deuce Vaughn (Kansas State), Kennedy Brooks (Oklahoma), Brian Robinson Jr. (Alabama), and Jerrion Ealy (Ole Miss) consisted of PFF’s top five list.

Robinson Jr. and Vaughn are where the red flags begin to arise when discussing returning running backs.

Starting with the Alabama tailback, he was not even the feature guy in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. First-round pick Najee Harris finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy and saw 60% of carries from Alabama running backs. In contrast, Robinson Jr. saw 22% while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Moving to the Little Apple, Vaughn’s 2020 season saw a lot more recognition than Robinson. The Big 12 voted him the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and to All-Big 12 Second-Team Offense.

Just as hype within Austin has, disrespect for Robinson seems to be carrying over into 2021.

Another omission is Iowa State’s Breece Hall. The sophomore finished as a unanimous First-Team All-American last season, leading the country in rushing yards and finishing second in rushing touchdowns last season.

Maybe PFF needs a new list.