Last week, spring football returned to the University of Alabama.
Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to repeat as national champions. With 15 practice sessions – including the A-Day Game – the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews on marquee players.
As we continue with the offense, the next profile piece is on Keilan Robinson.
Keilan Robinson
-Classification: Junior
–Position: Running Back
-Hometown: Washington, D.C.
-Height: 5-9
-Weight: 190 pounds
-Strengths: Speed, quickness, explosiveness, size, footwork
-Weaknesses: Game experience (missed all of 2020 season)
–Summary: The Coronavirus pandemic led to him opting out before the start of last season, but Keilan Robinson is back and Alabama football is glad to have him return.
He flashed signs of being a special player at running back as a true freshman.
A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson arrived at the University of Alabama as a four-star from St. John’s High School. He came in the same class as Trey Sanders, but the five-star from Florida garnered more attention. It did not take long before Nick Saban began to Robinson’s praises at the position.
He posted 254 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 39 carries in eight games.
Both of his scores came on runs of 74 and 46 yards, which were the longest two plays by an Alabama running back in 2019. Robinson’s speed, quickness, and explosiveness earned him the nickname ‘juice’ from Coach Saban. Fans of the Crimson Tide saw the second coming of Kenyan Drake in Robinson and were looking forward to seeing more of it last year. When he opted out, many were concerned he would transfer.
In his return, Robinson has added weight and muscle to his body. He now looks like Trent Richardson, and his teammates are excited to see what his offseason training will produce on the field. According to Brian Robinson, the fifth-year senior from Tuscaloosa is happy to see Keilan back. Robinson could have pursued the NFL Draft but chose to take advantage of a fifth year.
On Monday, Robinson said Keilan has not lost any athleticism.
“We missed [Keilan Robinson] last year,” Robinson said. “We are super excited to have him back in the room with us. He has a new look to him and we are excited to see what can do.”
In missing a whole season, Keilan Robinson will have to refresh himself with game speed.
He turned heads during Alabama’s Fourth Quarter Program and is running second-team at spring practice. Per respectable sources, Robinson is catching passes out the backfield too.
Bill O’Brien used a lot of backs in his coaching tenure with the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. Robinson is quickly fitting back in and is set to take some opportunities from others.
People are ready to see him dominate all spring.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
