TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Quandarrius Robinson would have had options. Had the Alabama edge rusher joined the mad rush of players who opted to jump in the transfer portal following Nick Saban’s retirement in January, best believe there were teams lined up to talk to him.
However, that thought never crossed the Birmingham, Alabama native’s mind.
“I didn’t have a reason to leave,” Robinson said. “I came because of the A, and I’m leaving with it. People were asking me like what was your reason to come here in the beginning. I’m coming because of the A, because they’ve always had good success with people in my position. And I’m going to continue to be here for them.”
Robinson signed with Alabama as the No. 94 overall player and No. 5 weakside defensive end in the 2020 class. He came to Tuscaloosa as part of a loaded edge rusher haul, as the Crimson Tide reeled in Will Anderson Jr., Chris Braswell and Drew Sanders during the same class.
Over the past four years, Robinson has had to settle for a role on special teams as he waited his turn in Alabama’s busy unit. The idea of transferring never crossed his mind during that period either.
“I don’t believe in just jumping ship,” Robinson said. “My mom has always coached me to finish what you start. That is one thing I’ve always been big on, just finishing what I started and not trying to run away from my problems.”
This spring, that patience is finally beginning to pay off. Following the departures of Braswell and fellow starting edge rusher Dallas Turner, Robinson now finds himself as the Crimson Tide’s top option at the outside linebacker position.
The redshirt senior still has some work to do before securing his starting spot on defense. First, he’ll need to learn new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 setup, which includes some new terminology and roles, such as the Wolf position, where Robinson will be called to line up as a pass-rusher on the defensive line.
“It’s been kinda fun,” Robinson said following Wednesday’s practice. “You try to learn the new plays and just try to help out the new guys. I feel like it’s a new experience. We’re just all taking it in, trying to have fun, do what we can with it.”
There’s also the adjustment of getting used to a new coaching staff. Along with a new coordinator in Wommack, Robinson also has a new position coach in Christian Robinson, and of course, a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer.
“Coach DeBoer is a super cool guy,” Robinson said. “I mean, I can’t find a bad thing about him. I’m not going to say I was looking for one, but I really can’t find nothing bad about him. He’s just really humble and a cool, collected guy.
“I love Coach Robinson. He’s already making a huge impact on us because we’re now seeing it from a different perspective. Like we’re seeing it from a guy who has played in the SEC as well and knows how to digest football and regurgitate it in a good way.”
Robinson is also taking on a leadership role himself. The redshirt senior joins redshirt junior Keanu Koht as one of two upperclassmen in Alabama’s young edge rushing unit which also includes redshirt freshmen Yhonzae Pierre and Qua Russaw as well as incoming freshmen Noah Carter and Jayshawn Ross.
While Robinson says his leadership role on the team isn’t necessarily something new for him, he’s still getting used to being the unit’s eldest member.
“That’s a role I’m trying to work myself to, and it’s helped me become outside the box with helping other guys,” Robinson said. “These kids are amazing, bro. I don’t want to call them kids, but I guess I’m an old head now. It’s just fun getting to know them, learning the different ways they learn and trying to help them out in the end, too.
“They’ve grown tremendously. It’s kind of like watching your baby take its first steps. I’ve just been enjoying watching them grow.”
As far as his responsibilities on the field, Robinson said he’s ready for anything. Last year, the 6-foot-5, 231-pound defender recorded 24 tackles, including 2.5 stops for a loss and 1.5 sacks while serving primarily on special teams, where he held a role on both kickoff and punt teams.
In his final season with the Crimson Tide, Robinson said he’s just happy to be here and help out any way he can.
“I’m going to be playing whatever they need me to play,” he said with a smile. “If they need me to play special teams more than the defensive snaps, or defensive snaps more than offensive snaps or whatever — I’m willing to do it.”
