When the Texas Longhorns nabbed five-star running back Bijan Robinson in the 2020 recruiting class, it was presumed that Ohio State had somehow botched their lead. The future first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons and Pro Bowl NFL back was a tremendous hit for Texas, totaling 4,215 yards and 41 touchdowns over three seasons.
What we didn't know previously is that Robinson had a very simple request for another program. Thankfully, Robinson joined comedian Kevin Hart in his new show, 'Cold As Balls', to tell some great stories. One of those stories was a recruiting tale of how USC just needed to make one thing happen for him to be a Trojan and not a Longhorn.
Robinson disclosed that he was prepared to commit to head coach Clay Helton, primary recruiter Keary Colbert, and the Trojans.
The decision ultimately hinged on a jersey number. Having been a fan of Reggie Bush, who wore No. 5, Robinson was eager to don that number. However, since USC has retired the No. 5 in Bush's honor and denied Robinson's request to wear it, he ultimately chose to commit to Texas instead.
"I had Ohio State and then USC. Reggie Bush was my favorite player. I was like, “If I can wear No. 5 and bring it out of retirement, because of Reggie Bush, I’ll come to USC!”
And just like that, Texas was able to add a program-defining player to its core for three tremendous seasons, while USC desperately lacked such help for Caleb Williams. USC won 11 games in 2021 when Robinson was a junior, and it's not crazy to think the pairing could've pushed the Trojans even higher in the polls.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!