Raps And Reps: Why 2022 Could Be Texas RB Keilan Robinson's Year

An aspiring rapper and high-end No.2 running back, the 2022 season could belong to Keilan Robinson on the Forty Acres.

Who is Keilan Robinson? That depends, which Robinson are you looking for?

There’s Keilan Robinson the football player, a 5-9, 200-pound running back that wins with speed in Texas’ backfield. Give him space and watch him fly down the sidelines for an easy six points.

There’s also Keilan Robinson the musician, an up-and-coming artist who continues to make strides with his career on the mic. His debut album, “Reborn” contains 12 tracks spanning 33 minutes, and can be heard on all streaming platforms with a simple push of a button.

Robinson doesn’t live the Jekyll/Hyde persona of hiding one side behind closed doors while the other makes headlines. He’s embraced all aspects of his journey at this point, finding a common balance between life on the field and life in the studio.

“I’m doing everything I wanted to do,” Robinson said. “I’m playing football at the highest level. Making music like I always wanted to. Life is good, personally.”

A native of the D.C. area, Robinson said music was natural to him at a young age. So were sports. He often would speed past kids on the playground during recess.

The latter of the two passions became Robinson’s life in high school. He focused on earning a scholarship rather than spewing bars in the cafeteria. Studio sessions became workout ones, and music was put on the back burner.

When Texas finished 5-7 in 2021, Robinson had several weeks off and away from football. He reconnected with a friend who reminded him of the idea of a mixtape back when they were in middle school.

In January, Robinson caught COVID and was forced to quarantine. There, he developed the lyrics to his first song and began recording.

“Growing up as athletes, we’re kind of put in a box where football or whatever sport you play is all you do,” Robinson said. “Stepping into a whole nother lane is kind of foreign to us.”

Make no mistake, Robinson is still an athlete. Football is a crucial part of his life. It has to be for anyone who initially commits to Alabama and later Texas, two blue blood programs where the game is life to those on Saturdays.

This season, there are expectations for Robinson early in the Longhorns’ backfield. With senior Roschon Johnson expected to miss the start of the new campaign with an ankle injury, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian needs a secondary running behind preseason All-American Bijan Robinson.

Johnson provides the power. Keilan Robinson has the speed. Both are essential to any backfield in today’s game.

Barring an injury, the offense runs through Bijan Robinson. Last season, the 6-foot, 220-pounder was the driving force on anything positive in Sarkisian’s offense. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry. On six different occasions, he surpassed 100 yards in a game. He also was a workhorse, averaging 20 carries per outing.

But Keilan Robinson added a spark throughout the season. He recorded 45 rushing attempts for 322 yards and scored three touchdowns. His 7.2 yards per run was the highest among all Texas runners with at least 40 carries.

And Keilan Robinson also made a splash on special teams. Last season in Week 3 against Rice, his blocked punt would end going for a safety. His 28-yard return would set up a Casey Thompson touchdown in route to a 58-0 victory.

“It’s natural for me now,” Keilan Robinson said. “I just run and end up making plays.”

The Longhorns are set at quarterback after Quinn Ewers was named the starter last week. Finding a consistent No. 2 receiver will be Sarkisian’s next step before facing Louisiana-Monroe.

Texas was expected to have one of the top duos in the nation with the Xavier Worthy and Wyoming transfer Isaiah Neyor. That changed when Neyor suffered a torn ACL in the team’s scrimmage earlier this month.

What does this mean? Sarkisian could elect to trust his run game early in the season. And that means more than just pounding the rock with Bijan Robinson 40 times a game.

Keilan Robinson will see reps. So will Johnson, redshirt freshman Jonathan Brooks and freshman Jaydon Blue. Carries aren't a concern for Keilan. He's worried more about what he can do in space with the ball in his hands. 

“Whenever my number is called, I just have to make plays,” Keilan Robinson said. “Rule No. 2 on this team is don’t complain, so I just have to make plays whenever I get the rock.”

Any good artist understands that sometimes adding in a second voice only heightens the song. Collabs are common in the industry today and often lead to better sales.

Perhaps that’s how Texas will look at the Robinson duo in its backfield. Bijan has the power bars while Keilan has the speedy flow.

Both will be needed throughout the regular season. Both should be on display against top-ranked Alabama come Sept. 10. 

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