Bijan Robinson & Roschon Johnson, HB (Texas)
What should have been the best HB-FB duo in the country
The experience I’ve had watching Bijan and Roschon in the backfield together this offseason was nothing short of exhilarating. Bijan's explosive playstyle combined with Roschon's exceptional run blocking technique was truly a sight to behold. The impending separation of these two talented backs is unfortunate, as their partnership was a thing of beauty. However, it will be exciting to witness Roschon's transition to RB1 (hopefully) and see him carve his own path on his own team in the football world. He has been in Bijan's shadow for too long, and it's time for him to shine on his own.
COLLEGE CAREER OVERVIEW
Bijan Robinson's impressive high school football career, where he averaged a remarkable 13.7 yards per carry and surpassed 2,000 yards three times, led to a 4-star rating from ESPN and 5-star grade from 247 Sports, making him the top running back prospect in the country in 2020. As a freshman for the Texas Longhorns, he made his mark with 705 rushing yards on 87 attempts, averaging 8.1 yards per carry with 4 touchdowns, as well as 15 receptions for 196 yards. The following year, Robinson rushed for 1,127 yards on 195 carries, averaging 5.8 YPC with 11 touchdowns and 26 receptions for 293 yards. He was honored with various awards, including the Maxwell, Doak Walker, and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards, and was named first-team All-Big 12 by conference coaches and the Associated Press. In his junior year, Robinson continued to impress, rushing for an impressive 1,575 yards on 257 attempts, averaging 6.1 YPC with 18 touchdowns, and 19 receptions for 314 yards, cementing his place as one of college football's top running backs.
Roschon Johnson was a 4-star recruit from Port Neches-Groves High School before joining the Texas Longhorns. As a freshman in 2019, he played in 13 games, ending up with 650 yards on 123 attempts for an impressive 5.3 yards per carry. He scored 7 TDs without fumbling, and as a pass catcher wound up with 23 receptions for 158 yards. As a sophomore in 2020, he played 10 games, rushing for 418 yards on 80 carries for an impressive 5.2 YPC. He scored 6 TDs and once again did not fumble, but his receving numbers did decline, totaling just 8 receptions for 51 yards. As a junior in 2021, he played in 12 games, rushing for 569 yards on 95 attempts for an excellent 5.9 YPC. He scored 5 TDs, and, once again, did not fumble. He also had 11 receptions for 83 yards. As a senior in 2022, he played in 12 games, with a solid performance of 545 yards on 94 carries for an excellent 5.8 YPC while scoring 5 TDs and fumbling once. He also had 14 receptions for 128 yards.
BIJAN ROBINSON’S STRENGTHS
Starting with Bijan Robinson, his strengths are so numerous that it's pretty much fair to say he excels at everything. His vision is incredible, giving him the ability to scan the entirety of the offensive line quickly to identity holes or opportunities to set up blockers to create lanes for himself. His lateral agility and elusiveness are truly special, and when paired with his balance and tempo makes it incredibly difficult for defenders to tackle him in tight spaces. Even when defenders manage to make contact with him, Robinson’s exceptional contact balance allows him to shed tackles with ease and keep fighting. He can also navigate through third-level defenders, breaking tackles and making explosive lateral cuts by quickly sticking his foot in the ground or using his above-average speed to outrun them. Once Robinson finds himself in open space, his quick feet and go-to moves, such as his lethal stutter step and spin move, as well as his aforementioned elite traits, make him nearly impossible to bring down. Robinson is an aggressive runner who is constantly fighting for extra yardage at the point of attack, which pairs with his high IQ and ability to consistently make defenders miss to form one hell of a halfback.
In the passing game, Robinson has proven to be quite the effective playmaker. He is a dependable receiver when lining up in the backfield, having run every route at Texas ranging from short swing passes to longer wheel routes down the field. Robinson has even been utilized as a receiver by being motioned out of the backfield. Additionally, he is a knowledgeable player when it comes to blocking, showing intelligence in his assignments by efficiently picking up blitzes and free runners. His receiving skills and pass protection make him a versatile running back who can be utilized in all three downs of any offensive play.
ROSCHON JOHNSON’S STRENGTHS
Roschon Johnson is a taller halfback that boasts an impressive physique and exceptional athleticism. His running style is best characterized by his patience, remarkable vision, and instincts. When approaching the line of scrimmage, he stays square and presses forward while waiting for the play to unfold. With his short-area burst, he can quickly burst through gaps or use his lateral agility to move across the line of scrimmage and find an opening. Johnson's physicality and toughness allow him to break arm tackles with ease and consistently push the pile forward. He maintains excellent contact balance throughout his runs, and his downhill running is punctuated by sharp cuts that leave defenders in his wake. His overall speed is pretty solid, and he is particularly effective when he plants his foot and barrels through the hole with a full head of steam.
The part of Johnson’s game that makes him so interesting to me is his blocking. As a run blocker, Johnson exhibits polished technique and a great understanding of leverage. He is able to use his short area burst and strong build to get up underneath linebackers and safeties at the second level before using his incredibly strong legs to drive them out of the play. He excels as a lead blocker, often serving as Bijan Robinson’s bodyguard through rushing lanes. He also possesses a solid understanding of how to set the edge. He utilizes a mic of technical prowess, strength, football IQ, and a nasty streak to straight up move second level defenders in the run game. As a pass blocker, Johnson's skills are exceptional. He fearlessly steps up to meet blitzers, initiating contact and delivering blows with both physicality and sound technique. He demonstrates excellent awareness of incoming blitzes, scanning the field effectively and prioritizing protection from the inside out.
BIJAN ROBINSON’S WEAKNESSES
Truthfully, the statement "Bijan Robinson's weaknesses" is an oxymoron, as he has none. However, there is an area in which he could improve, and that is his decision to run with more power when working between the tackles. Robinson's running style is somewhat upright, which could render him vulnerable to hard hits in congested, short-yardage situations. To counteract this, Robinson would benefit from lowering his pads and powering through the traffic rather than relying solely on his elusiveness to evade defenders or attempting to bounce a run.
ROSCHON JOHNSON’S WEAKNESSES
Due to his height, Roschon Johnson runs with a high pad level, which makes him susceptible to lower-body tackles and ankle tackles. When he is forced off his path, he struggles and lacks the change-of-direction skills required to evade defenders in the hole when the play is not blocked perfectly. As such, Johnson is not a reliable option to bail a team out of trouble and must depend on the effectiveness of his blocking upfront. In addition, Johnson's performance as a pass-catcher out of the backfield requires improvement. Although he can make plays, he has a limited route tree and tends to catch the ball with his body rather than his hands. Moreover, he is a somewhat rigid route-runner. Johnson is best utilized as a blocker out of the backfield with the occasional swing route.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I am a massive fan of both Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. These two will both make teams incredibly happy come draft night, and I am very intrigued to see how each one will function without the other. For Bijan, I can almost guarantee he will be perfectly fine, as he is my 2nd highest rated prospect in the entire 2023 draft class. I am absolutely blown away by his abilities as both a pure runner and a pass catcher, and I hope and pray he is drafted by a team with a legit fullback that can serve as his Roschon replacement (Tom Telesco, I’m looking at you). As for Roschon, I wouldn’t say I’m worried about how he’ll fair without Bijan either. The only complaint I have about Roschon’s transition to the NFL is the fact that he isn’t following the Zander Horvath route and declaring as a fullback, because I think he would be one of the league’s best pretty much instantly. That isn’t to say he isn’t fully capable of playing halfback, I just believe his talents are being wasted there. Nonetheless, I am incredibly excited to watch their careers unfold at the next level.
Bijan Robinson’s Grade/Position Rank: Top 10 Prospect, HB1
Bijan Robinson’s Draft Comp: Ken from “Street Fighter”
Roschon Johnson’s Grade/Position Rank: Third Round, HB5
Roschon Johnson’s Draft Comp: Ryu from “Street Fighter”