Bijan Robinson leaps and bounds better than the competition

In his first three games as a sophomore, Robinson has gained 576 yards, averaging 12½ yards per carry with eight touchdowns. And the Lancers haven’t played any lightweights, routing Phoenix St. Mary’s, Mountain View and Tucson.

What impressed me was that Robinson didn’t celebrate, do an end zone dance or call attention to himself. He turned and tossed the football to a referee and returned to the sideline.

Here’s how Robinson’s first three games stack up against the first three games of Bates’ and Carey’s sophomore years:

Bates had 30 carries for 289 yards for Amphi, or 9.5 yards per carry. He completed the year with 1,138 yards — and touchdowns on two kickoffs and one punt return — but he also shared the ball with his older brother Marion, who completed the ’86 season with 1,114 yards.

Carey’s first three games as a CDO sophomore resulted in 19 carries for 191 yards, or 10 yards per carry. He completed the year with 898 yards, and also shared the ball with senior Griffin Ronstadt, who rushed for 1,137 yards. At midseason, Carey had a breakout game with 264 yards against Cienega.

Whether Robinson can become, like Carey and Bates, a Parade All-American, an All-Pac-12 player and an NFL draft pick, is years away. More than anything, Robinson will need to remain healthy and continue his athletic development.

But he is clearly in the conversation with the Bates of ’86 and the Carey of ’08 and all of Tucson’s acclaimed running backs of the last 100 years.

Salpointe coach Dennis Bene hoped to share his club’s ball-carrying duties between Robinson and junior Mario Padilla, who gained 1,427 yards as a sophomore. But Padilla has a knee injury and it’s uncertain if he’ll be available when Salpointe plays at powerful Cienega on Sept. 28 in a matchup of two of Arizona’s leading teams.

One thing is certain: Don’t be late for that game.

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