Another recruiting cycle, another elite running back has committed to Michigan and Tony Alford.
It can’t be said enough about the prowess Alford has been for the Wolverines on the trail since coming over from Ohio State. From being the piece necessary to keeping Jordan Marshall locked in to his national letter of intent after Mike Hart’s departure, to landing five-star Savion Hitler in the last cycle, Alford continues his hit rate by stealing a star from the heart of the south.
Jackson (Miss.) Brandon’s
Tyson Robinson pledged to U-M on Saturday following two spring visits in back-to-back weeks. The priority feel Alford leveraged to Robinson and his family was among the catalysts in the program receiving its sixth commitment this month.
At 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Robinson is ranked as the No. 212 prospect and No. 14 running back in the country, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He’s also the No. 8 recruit in Mississippi.
Maize n Brew breaks down film from Robinson’s sophomore campaign as well as some junior highlights, providing an in-depth look at the potential he brings to the table.
Robinson’s top clips from his second year are being emphasized because it’s an indicator of what he brings to the table barring no injuries. That’s not to say he didn’t finish on a high note last season, but he did miss four games, so a full microcosm of his ability requires going back to 2024.
The production both years doesn’t parallel his current ranking either. Had Robinson not been injured, no question would he be within the Top 10 among all 2027 running backs right now, so credit goes to Alford and others to see past that and know the full story wasn’t in plain sight. Overall, it’s tough to argue where he could be ranked had there not been setbacks out of his control.
Let’s first look at the stat lines. In 2024, Robinson compiled 175 rushes for 1,295 yards, good for more than seven yards per carry. He also caught 42 passes for 668 yards and saw the end zone 34 times. While his touchdowns dropped the year after, Robinson still finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards on 166 carries.
Robinson reports a 4.4 40-yard dash, a 4.28 shuttle time and a 10.9 100-meter dash. He yields a similar build to Marshall at this point of his career and has similar time measurements, too, so it’s easy to also compare the two when it pertains to their on-field dominance at the prep level.
A bona fide cow-bell, Robinson is the epitome of a three-down running back who not only is dangerous in-between the tackles, but can line up as a slot receiver and bounce runs to the outside, showcasing his vision, lateral movement, patience and second-gear speed.
His highlight tape for 2024 is over 12 minutes (!) long. Primarily lined up as a split back and sometimes in a stance that Ashton Jeanty made famous, Robinson’s jersey rarely gets scuffed up because he rarely gets tackled. Whether it’s him mastering read-options, zone runs or running routes, defenders are unable to contain him, let alone make physical contact en route to him tallying another score. Ankle tackles are also a worthless strategy to bring him down.
Getting past the line of scrimmage is a normal phenomena for Robinson, so dissecting how he makes plays in the open field is a key tool in his repertoire. For instance, once he goes to the outside of the offensive tackle’s shoulders or cuts inside to the three or five hole, he’ll meet a group of linebackers and defensive backs. But it’s due to his decision making and taking the proper angles to pick up significant gains that those with opposite team colors run in circles for a desperate stop.
Brandon High deserves a lot of praise for running a spread offense and having five offensive linemen who open up holes big enough to fit a tractor trailer through for Robinson to do what he’s best at. It’s helped him dominate in high school, which is expected, so how will that be elevated at Michigan?
To start, for him to be so involved in Brandon’s passing game should translate when he arrives in Ann Arbor, meaning another weapon will be provided to the quarterbacks. Robinson knows how to go down the field and beat a safety or nickel with pure speed, or deceive defenses as a pass blocker and end up going untouched before the ball is caught in the flats or the middle of the field. At the end of the day, he brings a multi-facet skillset that will only get better under Alford’s teachings.
As a pure runner, Robinson will enter an environment receiving mentorship by a group that hones in on what he also does at the position. Marshall, Hitler, Bryson Kuzdzal and others will give Robinson the insight on the little things that don’t show up on highlights and make for an all-around Big Ten running back, like picking up blitzing defenders in the box, extending plays for that extra pivotal yard, development of the body through nutrition and the weight room, and endurance.
At the end of the day, Robinson has the potential to continue the lineage of great running backs in Ann Arbor and rep the maize and blue with pride.
