Not far from his last stop at Westwood, California’s senior powerback has accelerated his recruiting schedule.
Class of 2023 running back Roderick Robinson II, who previously said he plans to make his college decision in July or August, told 247Sports that he would announce his signing on May 26. Robinson narrowed his list down to six on May 7, including Arizona, Auburn, Cal, Oregon, Tennessee and UCLA.
Robinson will appear live on CBS Sports HQ at 10 a.m.
The timing of Robinson’s announcement could be in the Bruins’ favor as he just returned from an official visit to Westwood on May 13. Robinson has made unofficial visits to the other finalists’ campuses throughout the offseason, but his only official was at UCLA, where he also unofficially returned on March 31.
There might be a few other breadcrumbs leading to further engagement with UCLA, as Director of Player Personnel Ethan Young tweeted his signature “BOOM!” on Monday morning. The tweet, which signifies a verbal acceptance the staff received from a transfer or high school recruit, was not followed by a public acceptance as of Thursday.
A few hours before Young’s “BOOM,” running backs coach DeShaun Foster tweeted a potentially celebratory GIF.
The two tweets from UCLA staffers came just days after Robinson was on campus, and he announced his accelerated commitment date a few days later.
Should Robinson sign for the Bruins next Thursday, he would join receiver Grant Gray and safety-linebacker hybrid Ty Lee to give coach Chip Kelly three commits for the Class of 2023.
Although Robinson has spoken enthusiastically about his visit and his relationship with UCLA’s coaches, his future is not set in stone. Texas A&M is a former semifinalist of his who is reportedly still in the mix, while Georgia and Florida both came in with offers just this week so the San Diego native could join the SEC if he sees it as his best path.
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And much like Kelly and Foster, the offensive staff in Arizona, Auburn, Cal, Oregon and Tennessee have NFL connections either as players, coaches or draft prospect developers.
According to 247Sports Composite, Rivals and ESPN, Robinson is a three-star recruit. 247Sports and On3 have since committed Robinson as a four-star recruit.
Rivals has the 6-foot-1, 230-pound prospect ranked 21st in California and 22nd among running backs, while the 247Sports Composite has him ranked 25th in the state and 28th in position. Robinson is ranked the top running back in California on all major sites and is ranked #2 overall behind Bakersfield (CA) Produkt and Washington Commitment Tybo Rogers.
Robinson rushed onstage for Lincoln (CA) in 2021, rushing for 1,273 yards and 17 touchdowns on 185 carries in 11 games. His stature has made him primarily a power back, though he had 52 receiving yards on six catches during his final season.
Late February and early March marked something of a stepping stone in Robinson’s enlistment, even beyond his swanky high school numbers — he’s accepted invitations to Rivals Camp and Under Armor Next Camp, and earned running back MVP honors in the former.
UCLA has Zach Charbonnet as a workhorse outside the backfield in 2022, but he’s expected to bust out for the NFL draft next offseason. That leaves one redshirt senior Keegan Jones, one redshirt sophomore Deshun Murrell, and sophomore Tomarion Harden as returnees in the position group, neither of whom have experience as a collegiate-level leadback.
Robinson’s height seems to fit the profile the Bruins have had so much success with in 2021, as both Charbonnet and Brittain Brown were also 6-foot-1 when they led the most prolific ground attack in the Pac-12. However, Robinson has weight on both as a high schooler, so he could bring another new dynamic to the table when he joins UCLA.
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