Will Robinson Finally Be Able To Sign With Alabama?

For months now fans of the Crimson Tide have assumed that bruising, record setting tailback Jovon Robinson would become a part of the Tide’s next signing class. After all, Robinson himself had been quoted time after time about how it had always been his dream to play football at Alabama. He goes on and on about how he loves how Saban’s offensive style uses it’s running backs to wear down opposing defenses. How could he possibly end up anywhere else, right?

Actually, it could happen quite easily.

Everyone is familiar with the story of Robinson’s high school recruitment. Early on the Wooddale high student athlete had offers from nearly every major program around. Lots of fanbases, including Alabama’s, were salivating at the thought of the powerful young Memphis athlete signing with their school. Then rumors of grade problems started to circulate and fans being the fickle creatures they are quickly moved on to other running back targets worth fretting over.

On signing day Robinson signed with the Auburn Tigers and then head coach Gene Chizik. Doubts on his ability to qualify academically were speculated on all summer. That is to say they were speculated on by everyone but the good folks down on the Plains. Internet message boards were filled with Auburn fans arguing with fans of rival programs about how Robinson had turned things around and would qualify and report in the fall without problems.

Sure enough Robinson was cleared by the NCAA clearing house and reported that fall to begin practice with the Tigers. He had made it through roughly two weeks of fall camp at Auburn when the news broke that the NCAA was investigating whether someone at Wooddale High had altered Robinson transcript. When the investigation was complete it was learned that a counselor at the school had admitted to altering his transcript so he would be eligible to play football at Auburn. She then retired to prevent being forced to tell who’d asked her to change the grades.

It was later learned that one of Robinson’s teachers, a lifelong Auburn fan and graduate, had given him rides to visit the Tigers campus. Auburn coaches Curtis Luper and Trooper Taylor were suspended from being able to recruit off campus as a direct result of the investigation. In the end the Tigers received less than a hand slap and were forced to cut ties with Robinson. Just two weeks after arriving on campus he was forced to pack and head back home.

You’ve got to give the youngster credit. He could have went home, shut his bedroom door, crawled in the bed and never been heard from again. Many young men of lesser character would have done just that. Instead, Robinson got himself enrolled at Georgia Military, one of the better juco programs in the country both academically and athletically. Upon arriving in Milledgeville, Robinson wasted no time getting himself acclimated in the classroom and on the football field. By the time the season was done, he’d set junior college records for most yards in a season, with over 2300, and most rushing touchdowns with 34. More importantly for his long term goals, he’d managed to get his academic house in order setting himself up to go through recruiting all over again.

Which brings us back to why he could very well end up somewhere other than Alabama.

First off there’s the question of where Robinson falls on the Tide’s running back board. Don’t get me wrong, he’s undoubtedly the most talented and complete back available in this class. He runs with authority having the ability to go both through and around opposing tacklers. He also has the speed to run away from them once he reaches that second level. He may well be the best overall player available at any position in this class.

That doesn’t mean he’s at the top of the Tide’s board.

Much has been made of Alabama’s depth chart at running back the last year or so. The signing of four top ranked backs in one class, and the addition of Bo Scarbrough in the most recent one, have left what appears to be quite the log jam at tailback for the Tide. Bringing in Robinson would put him in the same class as Henry and Tenpenny. That would mean the possibility of losing three high quality backs in one season, provided none of them redshirted or transferred. You don’t bring a back like Robinson in to redshirt. That means he plays,likely taking away carries from one of the other backs, potentially leading to them transferring.

There’s also the possibility of him being a one and done type back. The young man is so physically gifted that he’s likely to be ready to move on to the NFL after just one seasons at the Capstone. The question is would Alabama be better off bringing in another top ranked high school player to go with four star power back DeSherrius Flowers? That would leave them with two backs in each class, freshman through junior, again provided no one left early or transferred.

The only way the Tide could keep that balance to their running back corps would be to sign Robinson and Flowers and then bring in another top high school back. Of course that would be taking away a scholarship that could be best used at another position.

Yes Robinson has a scholarship offer from Alabama but it may well be a conditional offer. That might explain why the young man has yet to commit despite repeatedly saying he knows that Alabama is where he belongs. Then again, he may just be enjoying the experience his poor grades didn’t allow him to have the first time around.

There are many factors going into the recruitment of Robinson that rank and file fans aren’t privy to knowing. What may seem obvious now may not be so obvious at all. With Robinson expected to be a candidate for early enrollment it may be mid to late December before we know for sure. It is entirely possible he ends up fulfilling his lifelong dream and is able to sign with the Crimson Tide.

However it’s also possible that choice is taken out of his hands and he once again ends up having to settle with signing elsewhere.