Over the years, Ohio State has scored big with some top-tier recruits. But not every story ends with a Buckeyes commitment—some players almost sign on, only to walk away. And if you listen to Bijan Robinson’s latest statements, that’s exactly what he did, too—prompting fans to have a field day with his supposed lies.

But before we tell you about that, let’s talk about Robinson’s CFB recruiting saga. A five-star running back recruit with 2,400 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns on 14.1 yards per carry by the end of his junior year, Robinson reportedly had “800 unread text messages from college coaches” at one point. Coaches were in hot pursuit, making it difficult for him to even attend classes…

And then there was the added pressure of being a top RB, and being expected to commit to a top-notch college football programme. In short, the Ohio State Buckeyes made the most sense for the star player. “There were a lot of people in my ear about Ohio State, and it was so tempting to try and go there and all the recruiting was toward Ohio State,” Robinson had noted as per 247Sports.

The pressure, though, wasn’t just coming from recruiters. In June 2019, Robinson’s Tucson (Arizona) Salpointe Catholic teammate, Latham Ransom, led the charge at an Adidas-sponsored national event that saw many top recruits in Atlanta. Ransom, at the time, “put the full-court press on Robinson”. The result?

Robinson made a “silent commitment” to the Buckeyes, which he further dived into during a conversation on January 30. Making an appearance on Bleacher Report’s The Edge with Micah Parsons podcast, the host asked the current Atlanta Falcons why he chose the Texas Longhorns.

“That was all God, bro. I committed to Ohio State for a week. Like it was me, CJ [Stroud], like we were all in that class…I committed there for a week, and I was like, ‘Bro, I’m coming to Ohio State.’ And then…I started like praying and…God was telling me, ‘That’s not the place for you…You shouldn’t go. Ohio State is not it.’ And, I just had that feeling for a whole week after I silently committed,” Robinson said.

I called the coaches, I called coach [Ryan] Day. I was like, ‘I’m coming here.’ We had a celebration on the phone. And then that next day I was like, ‘This just doesn’t feel right.’ I knew Texas was the place I was supposed to be at the whole time. But I was really just going to Ohio State because like it looked the best. I mean the facilities [are] crazy. I was like, ‘Man this is definitely not it’,” the Falcons running back further added, which prompted Parsons to divulge that he had “almost” gone to Ohio State as well. “It has a certain energy to it,” the Dallas Cowboys linebacker said, while laughing.

However, jokes aside, for Bijan Robinson, choosing Texas over Ohio State was more than just God…

As per 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Chris Singletary, Robinson’s grandmother played a big role in his ultimate decision. Even community insider Bill Kuleric confirmed the same, saying, “If Ohio State was a couple of hours away by car, there’s no doubt in my mind he’d be at Ohio State.” In the end, though, the RB was forced to have the “toughest conversation” of his life.

“I called [Ohio State], and I was like, ‘This isn’t the place for me.’ Having to say that to a grown man and him be like, ‘What are you talking about? I sent all my running backs away. Like you were the only one I was getting,'” Robinson said. “It was crazy man… It was tough to have that conversation as a 17-year-old kid,” the NFL star confirmed.

He also credits then Texas running back coach Stan Drayton for helping turn the tides. “Coach Drayton was the realist out of all of the coaches I talked to. He had Zeke at Ohio State and his freshman year was a slow development process. His second year is when he blew up. That’s the same thing he was telling me. He doesn’t want to rush me into anything because I’m still young…He was the realist of all the coaches. I loved that….

…Just trying to build a program is important. I’m not saying I can do it by myself, because of course I can’t. But that’s what I want to help do. Hopefully, god willing, I am that guy Texas is missing,” Robinson said as per 247Sports. And, in the end, it did serve him well. By the end of his third season with the Longhorns—where he rushed for 1,580 yards, 18 touchdowns, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry—Robinson was already one of the biggest stars for the team.

He finished with an overall 3,410 rushing yards, 18 TDs, and averaged 6.3 yards per carry as a Longhorn.

But despite the accolades and achievements, fans didn’t shy away from airing their opinions on social media…

Labeling of Bijan Robinson by fans

On a recent episode of Parsons’ podcast, Bijan Robinson shared his Ohio State what-if, but he wasn’t alone. Parsons jumped in, revealing he almost became a Buckeye too! Fans weren’t letting it slide, with one joking, “Everyone has an ‘almost committed to Ohio State’story.” Where, another called out Robinson’s claim, saying, “Lies! He was going to commit to Grambling State before Texas offered.” Buckeye fans? Yeah, they weren’t buying it!

Back in 2024, on Lewan and Will Compton’s show, Bijan Robinson got real about his silent commitment. He shared how players and coaches were in his ear, saying, “You should go here. We’re gonna build a dynasty. You’ll be amazing.” And sure, that might’ve been true. But for Robinson, Texas was bigger than football—it was a life-impacting decision. He saw a future there, a place to grow, return to, and truly call home.

Following Robinson’s revelation, fans had a good laugh. One joked, “Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.” Another called him out, saying, “LOL, he also said he was a silent USC commit too.” At this point, it seems fans are wondering—just how many teams did Bijan almost commit to?

But the drama didn’t stop there! One fan cut straight to the point, saying, “Lmfao, so you got paid more from Texas.” And let’s be real—if Bijan had chosen Ohio State, he would’ve had to face Michigan every year. But since he played for Texas, he never had to see the Wolverines on the field. Still, that didn’t stop fans from roasting him, with one dropping the ultimate punchline: “Still would’ve lost to Michigan.” Savage!

Now, the real question is—how will NFL star Bijan Robinson handle all these OSU fan trolls? Will he fire back, or let the chatter roll off his back? Either way, it’s shaping up to be a showdown of epic proportions!