72 DAYS TO KICKOFF: Greg Robinson

The big man who led the way for Auburn’s offense in 2013 makes the list!

As we continue our march to kickoff, we take a look at the top 100 recruits to sign with Auburn of all-time*. The rankings are based on 247’s composite recruit rankings, which unfortunately only date back to 2000.

THE RECRUIT

Greg Robinson was part of an odd Louisiana pipeline during the Chizik era, following fellow Thibodaux player Trovon Reed to the Plains thanks to the recruiting efforts of Trooper Taylor. Just outside of the top 100 players in the country, Robinson came to Auburn as an Army All-American and a talented discus and shotput athlete as well.

He was a coveted player that only found his way to the offensive line as a junior, where he twice earned All-State honors. His size, wingspan, and footwork allowed him to be a huge run blocker on the outside, and he transitioned to the perimeter at Auburn.

THE PLAYER

Robinson redshirted in 2011, and finally got to see the field in 2012. He took his lumps as a part of the 3-9 team, starting eleven games and gaining valuable experience while getting bigger. Once Gus Malzahn returned to coach the Tigers after a year’s absence, Robinson found the groove to become one of the best linemen in the country.

In 2013, Auburn exploded for an offensive output of over 501 yards per game, with 328 yards per game on the ground. Robinson’s run blocking at left tackle was a huge reason that the Tigers were so successful, as he overpowered opponents nearly every snap. After a 120-yard rushing performance against Mississippi State early in the season, Auburn never had a total below 213 yards (the next week against LSU). The Tigers ran for more than 300 yards six times over the rest of the season, including an SEC record 545 yards in the SEC Championship against Missouri.

With the on-field performance on his resume, Robinson became one of the most coveted offensive line prospects in the country, and he was drafted second overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by St. Louis. That selection made him the highest-ever lineman picked by the NFL, ahead of Ken Rice (eighth overall pick in 1961).

Robinson’s career in the NFL hasn’t been quite as successful as his time at Auburn, however. His 2016 season started poorly when he showed up to camp out of shape, and he had trouble with penalties over the first half of the year. He was moved to guard for the 2017 season and then waived after the year completed. After that, Robinson was picked up by Detroit, but waived in November 2017. Since then, he’s improved as a member of the Cleveland Browns. After taking over at left tackle in place of Desmond Harrison midway through the year, he started the rest of the season and was resigned to a one-year deal with Cleveland earlier in 2019.

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