Keilan Robinson was a four-star running back out of Washington, D.C. coming out of high school. Robinson committed to Alabama and spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He was coached by, then offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian.

Robinson would then decide to transfer from Alabama to Texas and reunite with Steve Sarkisian in Austin.

Keilan Robinson’s Impact in 2021

Robinson had a limited role in 2021. With Bijan Robinson ascending into superstardom and Roschon Johnson developing into a team leader, Keilan Robinson was left as the third-string option for the Longhorns.

Keilan Robinson registered 120 offensive snaps last season according to PFF, with 56 of those snaps coming in the last two games of the season (when Bijan Robinson was out due to injury). That ranked third on Texas among running backs with Bijan coming in at 512 snaps and Roschon at 230 snaps.

The majority of the snaps Keilan Robinson did see on offense were in the backfield as a runner. Showing off his dynamic speed and agility when he got the ball, Robinson averaged 7.2 yards per carry. That number led all Texas running backs on the season.

Keilan had a major role on Texas’ special teams unit, however. As he played in 138 snaps across the: kick return, kick off, punt return, and punt coverage teams. Keilan’s work on special teams could earn him more playing time on the offense if Steve Sarkisian was impressed by his level of effort.

Keilan Robinson’s Impact in 2022 and Beyond

With Keilan Robinson in his second season at Texas, he should be ready for more snaps on the offense. Helping his cause is the addition of wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, Brennan Marion. Marion’s Go-Go Offense prioritizes putting two running backs on the field at the same time. This is something Sarkisian has also dabbled with in the past.

With Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson both returning for the 2022 season as well, the talent at the running back room for Texas is almost over whelming. Keilan Robinson looks to be the third string option again in 2022. However, with Johnathan Brooks and highly-talented freshman Jaydon Blue behind him, Keilan Robinson will have to be incredibly impressive to stay in that role.

As talented as this running backs room is at Texas, no one has the speed of Keilan Robinson. Keilan’s ability to break open any run at any time and erase tackling angles for defenders is a special trait.

Keilan’s ability as a pass catcher also provides Sarkisian and this offensive staff with more options. Although Xavier Worthy is a proven playmaker, Jordan Whittington, Isaiah Neyor and the rest of the wide receivers are still unknowns or have questions for various reasons. Whittington’s injury history and Neyor’s jump in talent competition being two key question marks.

Adding Keilan Robinson as a wide receiver periodically could give Texas their best five playmakers on the field at the same time, with three of them being running backs. Having a dynamic speed threat able to go from the back field to the slot and even out wide at times could cause defenses trouble.

Looking at the NFL, Kyle Shanahan and the San Fransisco 49ers started to do this a lot with Deebo Samuel. Steve Sarkisian could look at Shanahan’s success and try to replicate it in his own way with his own personnel.

Conclusion

Overall, Keilan Robinson is easily one of the five or six most talented players on this Texas offense. In a world where positions in football are getting more and more murky, Keilan Robinson should be able to find himself on the football field more often than he did in 2021.

The age of “position-less football” is upon us. On the offensive and defensive side of the ball, versatility and speed have never been more important.

---

Thank you all for reading our article! Feel free to give us your thoughts by tagging us on Twitter: @TexasTalk_

Be sure to check out our Depth Chart and Roster pages as well! We will be keeping them as up-to-date as possible in-season and in the off-season!

If you love Texas Longhorns football, be sure to subscribe to our E-mailing list! We will E-mail you whenever a new article comes out!