Alabama football: 3 things to know about running back Brian Robinson Jr.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Alabama football rotating great running backs each year has been a staple of college football since Nick Saban arrived in 2007.
Brian Robinson Jr. does not appear to be breaking this long trend. He shares the majority of carries with fellow junior Najee Harris.
These are the basics on Robinson, who is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 226 pounds
Here are some things to know about him.
Brian Robinson Jr. was a highly touted recruit
It's probably not too much of a surprise Robinson was a highly sought after recruit. He drew offers from many strong programs including Auburn and Georiga.
He rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 145 prospect in the 2017 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
At Hillcrest High School, Robinson rushed for 990 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior.
Robinson Jr. had a slow start to his collegiate career
Robinson joined a crowded backfield at Alabama. He's sat behind multiple future NFL Draft prospect his first two years on campus.
He had a total of 87 carries in 26 games his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Through five games in 2019, he recorded 46 carries, more than 50% of the carries he got in 2017 and 2018 combined.
He's slowly making more of a name for himself at Alabama.
Saban doesn't think the lack of carries has slowed down his growth as a player over the last couple of years.
“If there's anybody that deserved more in terms of their role a year ago, it was probably him,” Saban said in August of Robinson. “The depth of the position probably didn't allow him to get as many turns as even (we) would've liked for him to, but I don't think that impeded his development at all because he's got great knowledge and experience and he's been able to play enough to know what it's like to play in big games. I'm sure he'll do a great job for us this year.”
Brian Robinson Jr. is tough to bring down
One thing going for Robinson to get more carries is because he's tough to bring down.
He's a powerful runner that doesn't go down easy.
Robinson avoided seven tackles against Ole Miss this season and avoided two against Southern Miss, according to Pro Football Focus.
Blake Morgan is a digital producer with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @BlakeMorgan123.
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