Embracing competition helps freshman Demarius Robinson turn heads

Transitioning from Oklahoma high school football to the Sun Devil program and the Big 12 gridiron figures to be a daunting task for any incoming freshman. The speed of play and physicality, combined with learning the intricacies of an expanded playbook, create a new set of challenges, even for the most gifted players.

For this reason, many high school football players graduate a semester early to enroll at their college in the spring semester. The early arrival provides valuable time to adjust to the college game, as well as to the life of a college student.

While some first-year players may experience anxiety and hesitation during that transition, wary of making mistakes or appearing unprepared, Arizona State freshman running back Demarius Robinson didn’t let his new environment rattle his energy.

“I’m already a small player, so my mindset is just to be a dawg,” the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Robinson said. “I always have that mentality, if I want to go to the NFL, I’ve got to be a dawg. I have to separate myself from others. So, I really just got to be me but also be a dawg at the same time and know that nobody can stop me.”

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham had repeatedly emphasized the importance of depth players stepping up during the Sun Devils’ five weeks of spring practice. In April, he often said, “I want to see one of these young guys step up and say, ‘Play me,’” urging freshmen to compete for roles on the team, which is stacked with returning players on its depth chart.

The reigning Big 12 champions return nearly the majority of their offensive starters, making the path to playing time even more competitive for newcomers. But Robinson improved each week in spring practice, undeterred by the challenge of breaking through.

Like most newcomers, Robinson’s early struggles began in the meeting room, where he first had to digest a college-level playbook and then execute it on the field.

“I had to gradually grow,” Robinson admitted. “The footwork stuff wasn’t too crazy, but the pass protections and plays, we’d be in the meeting room, and coaches would draw up plays, I’d get it easy. But it was different on the field. When it really came to playing, everything started moving around. I was confused. But day by day, I just gradually started getting better.”

Spring wasn’t any easier in ASU’s running back room. Despite the loss of All-American Cam Skattebo, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting before being selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Sun Devils still have plenty of options in the backfield.

Junior Kyson Brown returns after rushing for 351 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, primarily backing up Skattebo. Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry and is the longest-tenured back on the roster.

Also returning is redshirt junior Raleek Brown, who missed nearly all of 2024 with a hamstring injury. His last extended action came in 2022 at USC, when he ran for 227 yards and three touchdowns.

ASU also added junior Kanye Udoh, who transferred from Army after rushing for over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. With a multitude of options and without a clear cut starter, the Sun Devils are expected to operate a committee-style offensive backfield this fall.

“Really crazy RB room, a lot of talent,” Robinson remarked. “Everybody can go in and be like, ‘Oh, OK.’ It’s not one or two or three backs. Everybody can go in and play. That makes me better at competing. That’s why I came here because I knew it was gonna be a lot of talent in the RB room. I wanted to know if I could bet on myself.”

And bet on himself he did. Despite watching ASU finish 3–9 in consecutive seasons, Robinson committed in the summer before the 2024 season, a campaign that resulted not only in an 11-3 record and a conference championship but also a berth in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs. When he arrived in Tempe, Robinson could already feel the energy and competitive spirit that Dillingham and the staff had fostered.

“The 3-9 situations weren’t a big thing; everybody has bad seasons,” Robinson noted. “Like my high school, we had two bad seasons, so it wasn’t too bad. What matters to me is who is competing and who loves the sport as much as I do because I’m trying to hit the big leagues, too, just like everybody else. “Coach Dillingham hyping the team up really just showed how they competed and how close they were. The team bonding was really how I knew they were going to be a great team.”

That sense of camaraderie has already paid off. Robinson said that a Sun Devils roster featuring heated position battles and veteran mentorship helped him develop quickly, particularly in learning how to execute the wide range of assignments related to his role.

“Learning how to block, that’s what Kyson, Raleek, and Kanye have been teaching me,” Robinson commented. “Learning from the vet is really helpful. Walkthroughs helped me out a lot. We’d walk through and see it, and then when we were running, I knew what I was doing in those situations. I would see my indicators — who blitzed and who didn’t, what the (offensive) line was doing, and what gaps I needed to hit. It really slowed the game down for me a little bit.”

One of the most eye-catching storylines about Robinson is his nickname — “Man Man.” He got it from his family as a child, when peach fuzz above his lip made it look like he had a mustache.

“‘Man Man,’ it’s just something my family calls me,” he said with a laugh. “So, I was really just used to that. But I mean, it’s my nickname. Once people I didn’t know started calling me ‘Man Man,’ I started getting confused. Like, hold on, I don’t even know you.”

While the moniker may not have football origins, Robinson continues to embody his “dawg” mentality on the field, a style built on toughness, versatility, and humility. It’s that mindset, he believes, that will help him carve out a niche for himself during his inaugural season in Tempe.

“They might put me anywhere, any position, and I’m down for it,” Robinson stated. “As long as I’m on the field helping the team, it really doesn’t matter. I’m a team player at the end of the day.

“Having that humble mindset — we are here for a reason. My rule is that if I really want to be a good player on the team, I just have to keep working. Keep doing what I’m doing. I just stay humble with it and keep competing. That’s the reason why I’m here.”