Southern Arizona's top high school football prospect has received a scholarship offer from the reigning national champions.
Alabama offered Salpointe Catholic running back Bijan Robinson on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide join a list of schools that include Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Washington, Illinois, Utah and Kansas State. More top programs are expected to visit with Robinson in the coming weeks.
Robinson was sitting down to lunch at Eegees — on his plate: a small lemon-mango-strawberry Eegee and small french fries — when he received a message to call Alabama special teams coach Jeff Banks. He did, and received the offer.
“It’s a true blessing from God, he’s given me a lot of great opportunities to show my talents and has given me blessings like this one,” Robinson said.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound Robinson starred as a sophomore, rushing for 2,023 yards and 26 touchdowns as Salpointe advanced to the state championship game.
Both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com list Robinson as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020. The offer from Alabama is unique, even by Salpointe's high standards. Former Lancers wide receiver Cam Denson (2014) had offers from Big 12 schools, and offensive lineman Kristofer O’Dowd‘s (2007) lone SEC offer was from Tennessee. O’Dowd went on to play for USC.
Still, the Tucson-to-Tuscaloosa connection isn't as strange as you'd think. Tucson High product Levi Wallace started at cornerback for last year's national championship team after initially walking on as a freshman. The Crimson Tide flirted with Cienega quarterback Jamarye Joiner last winter, before he signed with the UA. Alabama's athletic director, Greg Byrne, came from the UA.
Robinson already has a connection with current Alabama running back Najee Harris. Robinson attended The Opening in Oakland, California, a national football camp for high school prospects. Harris was one of his counselors there.
Alabama and head coach Nick Saban have been known to develop running backs such as Derrick Henry, T.J. Yeldon, Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram. Alabama boasted the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in 2017, per Rivals.com, and ranked seventh in its most recent effort. Alabama's still-growing Class of 2019 is ranked second nationally.
