Bijan Robinson named to WCFF Player of the Year watch list
Preseason accolades continue to pour in for sophomore Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who was named to the 2021 Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) Player of the Year watch list.
It has been more than a decade since a Longhorn won the award. Former UT quarterback Colt McCoy won it in consecutive seasons, in 2008 and 2009; running back Ricky Williams grabbed the hardware in 1998.
Entering just his sophomore season, Robinson already is being recognized as one of the nation’s premier running backs and offensive players. A preseason second-team WCFF All-America, Robinson already has had his name added to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards.
He appeared in nine games a year ago, starting the last six. He led the Texas offense with 7-3 rushing yards on 86 carries (for a program-record 8.2 yards per carry), and reached the end zone four times. He was also the team's fifth-leading receiver with 15 catches for 196 yards and two more touchdowns. He joined Cedric Benson (2001) and Adrian Walker (1989) as the only Longhorns to run for 150 or more yards in a game more than once as a freshman.
While solid all season, Robinson grabbed the spotlight on a national scale when he ran for 183 yards on just 10 carries (18.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown to earn Offensive MVP honors in UT’s win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
The 2021 watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The 2021 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 130 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live Dec. 9 on ESPN. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation's 55th annual national awards banquet Jan. 15, 2022, in New Haven, Conn.
