The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL T yson Robinson visited Michigan dur- ing the men's basketball team's Final Four run. Most of the people on campus that weekend watched the tournament games and celebrated the team's success, including some recruits, but the four-star running back wasn't interested in that. He sat in the film room with running backs coach Tony Alford. This was a busi- ness trip for Robinson — a pivotal trip that helped lead to his July commitment to Michigan over Tennessee, Alabama and many others. "I'm not a person that's just watching basketball," Robinson said. "I like to play foot- ball." The blue-chip junior from Brandon (Miss.) High said he traveled up to Ann Arbor for a foot- ball visit, so he wanted to keep the focus of the trip on the gridiron. He said the chance to watch film with Alford was "huge." By the time the first visit wrapped up, he had already planned to return to campus the following week. His first trip set off Michigan's surge to the top of his recruitment. Robinson named Michigan his leader after that trip. The nation's No. 14 running back and No. 212 overall recruit also visited Tennes- see, Alabama and Miami this spring. He said the Wolverines made him feel like a priority. "Michigan has been on me a lot," Rob- inson said. "I've been talking to the staff dang near every day. I know I talk to Coach Alford every day." Robinson said U-M's push really began around three or four months ago. It felt good to feel wanted, he explained, and hear that the staff saw him establishing a role early on in his career. Michigan is a long way away from home for the Missis- sippi prep standout, but he found the ideal fit with the Wolverines. "The people there, I feel more com- fortable than I did most places, and it's just like a home kind of," Robinson said. "It's not Mississippi. I mean, no place is like Mississippi, so I will say it's differ- ent. It's cold, but that just comes with it. The NFL, probably, I want to say 20-plus teams, they're in the cold. And then most of them in the South get hot, but they've got to go to the cold, too. So, you can't have cold [weather] as a big factor." A path to the NFL was an important part of Robinson's decision-making pro- cess. Alford's history with quickly devel- oping professional-caliber backs and get- ting them to the league stood out to him. Opportunity and scheme fit both played a huge role in his com- mitment. "He just likes my game in general and then my IQ off the field," Robinson said. "And then on the field, he said I fit the program and everything they do, and I just match what they need. From speed to receiving abilities, he thinks that's what's going to make my game d i f fe re n t a n d p l a y early." R o b i n s o n p l a ye d through a serious injury for a significant portion of last fall, which impacted his junior year. The year be- fore, he racked up an eye-popping 2,007 all-purpose yards as a sophomore (1,295 rushing, 668 receiving, 44 kick returns). Alford has a lot of faith in the newest Michigan commit. "He sees me as a generational back," Robinson said. "I'm Tyson Robinson, so I'm going to put myself as a different type of back, but he sees me as another one of his prodigies he's going to build up, coach through and get into the league." Robinson publicly announced his choice on May 16. He had led Alford know a few days earlier that he had picked the Wolverines, and the veteran assistant coach was thrilled to receive the good news. "He was more excited than I was," Robinson said. "I was like, 'Gol-lee!' He showed it through the whole thing that he wanted me, and I was his top priority." Robinson sees a path to playing time in Ann Arbor, and he already clicked with a couple of current running backs. He met Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter during his spring visit, and they took him out to eat. "I think they're cool," Robinson said. "Marshall, he's a different type of dude. Savion, he's a little bit more chill. Two different people, but they are both good people." The current Michigan backs helped recruit Robinson to Ann Arbor. Behind the scenes, he's already recruiting for the Wolverines as well. "I'm kind of in the game already," Rob- inson said. The explosive, versatile running back is back on the field and healthy. Robinson plans on early enrolling with the Wolver- ines after signing in December, but before then, he hopes to rack up the yards from scrimmage again this fall. ❑ Tyson Robinson's Journey From Mississippi To Michigan The nation's No. 14 running back and No. 212 overall recruit, Brandon (Miss.) High School's Tyson Robinson, also visited Tennessee, Alabama and Miami this spring before committing to Michigan. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/RIVALS PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Robinson is a home-run hitting running back who can break off huge plays as a rusher and a receiver. Once he reached the second level, high school defensive backs could not catch him, even as a sophomore. The Wolver- ine commit showed off strong contact balance and was not tackled until the 3:49 minute mark of his highlight reel. He caught passes out of the backfield and can also line up in the slot and make plays. The versatile back does a good job of manipulating defensive backs with his route running. Robinson is a stout run- ning back at 5-10, 201 pounds, and his frame already looks college-ready. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: He recorded a personal best 11.15 100-meter dash as a freshman, so we don't have a verified speed time for him. His junior film didn't pop the way his sophomore reel did, but now we know it was because he played through a serious injury. Robinson is fully healthy now, and if he returns to his soph- omore level or takes a step forward, then he has Top 100 potential. PLAYER COMPARISON: NC State run- ning back Duke Scott — Robinson is a stout running back with a college-ready frame and skill set. He can make an im- pact on the ground and through the air as a receiver. Those are skills that Scott — the starting back for the Wolfpack — showed at the high school level. — Ethan McDowell