Que Robinson helping Alabama OLB coach prepare young Wolves

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama linebacker Que Robinson suffered a season-ending injury in the Crimson Tide’s 42-13 win over LSU last weekend in Baton Rouge. The upper-body setback prematurely ended Robinson’s fifth and final season wearing an Alabama uniform.

The Tide will look to replace Robinson on the field, but his position coach took the time to give the fifth-year senior his flowers for what he has meant to the Alabama football program.

“I just can’t express how much the room and myself are indebted to Que Robinson,” said UA outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson.

“My hope with Que is that people realize just how much he means to this program, how much he’s poured into it and how much he helped me when I got here and continuing the things that the position has always been about. He embodied that.”

Robinson waited his turn behind players like Will Anderson, Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell and had a prime opportunity this season. He was taking full advantage of it, leading the team in sacks (4) before his injury. Robinson won’t return to the field at the college level, and while his goal is still to play in the NFL, he is filling the role of coach during his rehab.

However, Robinson was an aid to his first-year position coach even before his injury.

“He’s been helping me prepare a lot of these younger guys for this opportunity every day,” Christian Robinson said. “I don’t have a grad assistant or anything, so he helped me a lot every day with just making sure those guys – Qua Russaw, Yhonzae Pierre, Noah Carter, Jayshawn Ross – really just helping me get those guys ready.”

Alabama’s Wolf linebacker numbers are now thin after Robinson’s injury and a suspension for Keanu Koht. The Tide will turn to two redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen. Inside ‘backer Jihaad Campbell could also play more snaps off the edge down the final stretch.

Russaw will most likely be the starter moving forward after starting the first three games of the 2024 season and playing a significant role in all nine contests. The redshirt freshman has 20 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack after not seeing the field at all in 2023. With Robinson out, Russaw will not only play more but will look to be more of a leader.

“He’s a quieter guy. … He’s a guy that’s more thoughtful,” Christian Robinson said. “So guys know if he’s gonna speak up and say something that he means it. So I see him being thankful and trying to push guys, and he’s coaching them. I’ve seen him talk to Noah and the younger guys more, and sometimes when there’s a void, that’s when those guys step in. 

“If you look around the room, who’s gonna lead it? I see him and Yhonzae being two of those guys to do it.”

Pierre is another redshirt freshman who did not play a year ago but has seen a few reps here and there. After Robinson’s injury, Pierre played the second-most snaps of his second season (16) against LSU, according to Pro Football Focus. With the veteran forced to watch from the sideline, the youngster is expected to see his role increase in late November.

Christian Robinson said he’s seen Pierre break some of the habits young guys tend to have.

“He sits in the first chair in the meeting room. He’s taking notes that he didn’t take when I first got here,” The outside ‘backers coach said. “And that’s the growth from being a young guy that with first-round draft picks in the room where I’m not being expected to do much where now it’s time for me to go, I see a sense of urgency from him. 

“And I can coach him hard, and he knows that it’s only for his good. And so those two things, really the urgency and then being coachable, that’s why he’s having success and why I think he will help us and contribute in a way that’s impactful on Saturday.”

Rounding out the Wolf linebacker group is a pair of true freshmen who have played in one total game this season. Ross enrolled early at Alabama and participated in the team’s bowl practices in December, but he hasn’t seen the field yet. Carter was one of the final additions to UA’s 2024 class, and he last played in late September in the team’s season opener.

Both players can play in the rest of the Tide’s regular-season games and still redshirt.

“Their redshirts are over now, and so they can contribute,” Christian Robinson said. “I don’t have to hold those two guys back, and I’m looking forward to them striving to go earn opportunities with their detail and execution.”

Younger names will man Alabama’s Wolf position for the rest of the season, but that unit will still be impacted by Robinson. The vet didn’t allow the injury to keep him from attending a voluntary meeting on Monday. It was at that meeting that Christian Robinson told the sidelined starter that he needed his help, voice and leadership to guide the next wave of Wolves.

Just like Robinson has been doing since he chose to come back for a final football season.

“I know we don’t have a million captains, but in my eyes, that guy’s lived the same way, and that’s what being a leader at Alabama looks like, is you make an impact,” Christian Robinson said. 

“You’ll be judged on how you affect other people, and he’s left an impact on this room and this team.”

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