Tennessee’s offense isn’t the ground-and-pound pro-style scheme it once was just a few years ago, though there’s still a lot of value in recruiting a bigger running back to the roster.
Len’Neth Whitehead can play that role on the current roster, but could Roderick Robinson II be that guy in the future?
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound mauler has garnered a lot of interest from the Volunteer State of late as the Vols hope to bring him to campus at some point before the fall season begins.
“It’s still early – they just offered, but the relationship is great,” the San Diego, Calif. native told Volquest of Tennessee. “The coaches seem very high on me and I’m high on them as well. I feel like they could be great people to mentor me on and off the field.”
Quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle, who was on his West Coast recruiting swing last month, stopped by Lincoln High School and spoke with Robinson and his coaches. Days later, Tennessee offered the running back.
“Coach Halzle was telling me that I have the frame of an SEC running back already,” the 2023 prospect explained. “He says with hard work and dedication, I can play in the SEC and succeed. That was a real confidence booster for me.”
Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack has also been working the three-star.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with Coach Mack. He’s been texting me for a while now,” Robinson continued. “He thinks I’m a good running back and with more work, I could be an NFL-bound running back. Hopefully, they are right.
“They want me to come up as soon as I can, whenever I can. They know it’s a far trip. I’m trying to work it out with my mom for when we can go and visit because my mom lives in South Carolina.”
That will be key for the Volunteers to truly be in the running – getting the back to campus at some point in the next two phases of the offseason. In the meantime, it’s not just the Volunteers who are vying for his services, as other programs are coming hard as well.
“It’s crazy, but it’s going great right now,” Robinson said of the recruiting process. “At the end of my junior season, I had five offers. I have 19 now. It’s really kick-started back up in the new year.
“I’d love to visit Tennessee.”
The tailback ran for 1,300 yards as a junior on 185 carries. He found the end zone 17 times and averaged seven yards a carry.
An All-Region player in 2021, Robinson believes he’s way more than just an in-between the tackles runner. In fact, he operates out of a spread-offense that majority of the time and has been clocked at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
“I’m a big back who can do more than just run downhill,” the target said. “I feel like I have deceiving speed and deceiving shiftiness. I feel like I have great hands and can be used wherever, whenever.”
Robinson visited Arizona in January and plans to check in with Cal and USC in March. The 2023 prospect took in a game day at Oregon back in the fall. There’s a lot to get done prior to making a decision and that commitment will come by August 18.
“That date is just the Thursday before our first game. I want to be committed to a school before our season starts,” the running back said. “My plan for this spring and summer is to sit down and talk with my family and see which trips we can make to see schools. We need to see which ones we are really considering and see if we can make them.”
Time will tell if the Volunteers are able to lure him to campus, but the bruiser certainly is open to it right now. Regardless of if it’s Tennessee or another program, Robinson has a few things he is looking for in a staff at the next level.
“I’m looking for a place I can call another home,” the prospect concluded. “I’m looking for coaches that I can have a good relationship with on and off the field who will make me not only a better football player but a better person too - people who can team me life lessons.”
The three-star is tabbed as the No. 30 running back in the class and owns a Rivals Rating of 5.6.
