With 2019 drawing to an end, Texas head coach Tom Herman discussed the 2020 recruiting class and the hiring of new defensive coordinator Chris Ash on Wednesday.
Among the 16 December signees that were announced, Herman raved about standout running back Bijan Robinson.
Robinson is one of the more highly decorated players in the 2020 class. He is the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona for the 2019-20 season, has won Arizona state player of the year multiple times and has rushed for over 2,000 yards in three seasons.
Even with all of his accomplishments, his humility is what stands out about him.
“This guy would drive the bus and take out the trash if you asked him to,” Herman said. “Everybody wants to brag on not all of (his) accomplishments, but rather what kind of young man he is.”
Robinson is joined in the 2020 class by Lake Travis quarterback Hudson Card. Card, who began his career as a wide receiver, will step into a highly competitive quarterback room as an early enrollee.
“He is definitely the face of the class,” Herman said. “He was the first to commit, and we've got our sights set on Hudson for multiple years now and really excited to get to start working with him in January.”
Along with the recruiting class, new defensive coordinator Ash was discussed.
Ash is coming off an abysmal tenure at Rutgers University. In his four years, the Scarlet Knights could only muster eight wins, with four coming in 2017.
Ash won’t coach in the Alamo Bowl, nor will he be heavily involved in the preparation for it. He is scheduled to be in Austin for the remainder of the week and then resume holiday plans with his family. According to Herman, Ash will not be a “countable coach.”
Ash’s contributions will be seen next year, when Texas tries to find stability on the defensive side of the football. Ash was hired because his beliefs aligned with those of Herman. They want to keep their scheme simple, yet not predictable.
“It's not going to be a whole lot of defense,” Herman said. “It's going to be teaching them the fundamentals, developing them and … like all great defenses, we gotta fly to the football.”
