Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said 'conversations are ongoing' with several veteran...
Should he leave school early, Texas junior running back would be a probable first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He has rushed for 1,580 yards this year and ranks second nationally in yards from scrimmage per game .
AUSTIN — Last Sunday night, about six hours after Washington formally accepted an invitation to play Texas in this year's Alamo Bowl, star Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. announced he was returning for the 2023 season. This was an unexpected bit of good fortune for UW. Penix, who played the previous four seasons at Indiana, led the nation in passing yards while guiding the 12th-ranked Huskies to a 10-2 record. Instead of getting ready for the 2023 NFL draft in lieu of his team’s upcoming trip to San Antonio, Penix decided to run it back. If only Texas could have received similar news about one of its potentially outgoing playmakers. “I was waiting for the highlight video of one of our players to say he was coming back, but we didn't get that,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday at the Security Service Insurance Golf Classic. “Not as fortunate as Washington.” Sarkisian didn’t single anyone out, but odds are he was referring to junior running back Bijan Robinson.Last month, Robinson said he would “assess everything” once Texas finished its regular season. As of Friday, there’s been no formal announcement made regarding Robinson’s future, either by himself, his team or his coach. No. 20 Texas would obviously love to have the 2022 Doak Walker Award winner on the field both for the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl and the entire 2023 season. Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards, scored 20 total touchdowns and ranked second nationally in yards from scrimmage per game during the regular season. Robinson didn’t receive an invitation to Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City even though a reasonable case could be made that he was the best player in the nation in 2022. And as a potential first-round pick who plays a bruising position with a short professional shelf life, Robinson is expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft in the coming weeks. “Bijan has a lot of things to work himself through,” Sarkisian said. “He loves the University of Texas. It's not something like, 'Well, it's kind of ... ' No, he loves it. He loves this place. For him to decide, 'Do I leave early to go to the NFL or not' — I mean, that is a tough decision. That's heavy on anybody. So we try to help him, support him the best we can.”Senior running back Roschon Johnson, fourth-year junior wideout Jordan Whittington and junior linebacker Jaylan Ford are among those who could opt out of the Alamo Bowl and declare for the draft. Johnson has rushed for 2,190 yards and 23 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry in four seasons and has been a key special teams contributor. The former Port Neches-Groves quarterback was also the Longhorns’ de facto captain, and his combination of talent and leadership ability would be coveted in the middle to late rounds of the draft.Whittington finally shed his “injury prone” label this season to start all 12 games and set career-best marks in receptions and receiving yards . And Ford blossomed into a bona fide defensive star, earning a spot on the All-Big 12 first team after amassing 109 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and two sacks.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
3 North Texas members of Southern University marching band killed in crashSouthern University, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is mourning the deaths of three students from North Texas.
Read more »
Lt. Gov. Patrick noncommittal on adding rape and incest exemptions to Texas abortion banAUSTIN — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is noncommittal on whether the Legislature should add rape and incest exemptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban. “I am...
Read more »
Construction to begin downtown on South Alamo near HemisfairThe city started work on a $36 million road makeover and drainage project this week, but major trenching is expected after the new year.
Read more »
Top-seeded Texas readies for NCAA volleyball regionalStar outside hitter Logan Eggleston and the Longhorns are determined to win the school’s...
Read more »
Tucson native Bijan Robinson wins Doak Walker AwardRobinson isn't a Heisman finalist, but the Tucson native and Texas Longhorns star was recognized as the top running back in college football.
Read more »
As Alamo Bowl looms, several Texas players weighing big decisionsTexas coach Steve Sarkisian said “conversations are ongoing” with several veteran...
Read more »