Elijah Robinson, Syracuse Defensive Coordinator

We miss college football.

His first touch. We can't wait for the 2025 season. And we're counting down the days to kick off. Here is your college football fix only on the Zach Gelb show. All right, it is a college football fix right here on the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. Eighty seven days until Syracuse kicks off their football season in Atlanta, Georgia, going up against an SEC power in Tennessee.

The orange last year were ten and three, and it was a very successful first season at Syracuse for Fran Brown and Company. And now joining us is an old friend in Elijah Robinson, who, of course, is the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Syracuse. And he's kind enough to join us right now. Elijah, I know it's been a while.

Appreciate the time. How you been, my friend? I've been good, man. It's been a while, man. You're right about that.

A lot more gray hairs. You got a few coming in as well. A hundred percent. I'm great all over the place. Let me start you off, though. You're one for you guys at Syracuse. You guys really made a statement going ten and three. I know that you're on to the next season, but first off, start off for me. Just looking back at how you kind of recap your one. Like I said, I think Coach Fran did a tremendous job is leading this program and, you know, you know, his background and how he is with the players and the things he can do to motivate the players, but also motivate our staff just to get us to buy into what the program is all about.

Being dark, being committed to each other, caring about each other and trusting each other. So he did a great job just leading and pushing that and our players did a tremendous job just fighting a good fight every day doing what we asked them to do. And the fans showed up and this is a great program that people support us. So I'm just happy that we can give them something to be proud of.

But like you said, it's short lived. You know, we want to the next season. So this is a new team and a new season. So we're just working hard to try to change the standard standard.

The standard can never stay the same. And like you know, there's energy now around Syracuse football. People are excited. People are looking forward to what you guys are going to do coming up in year two. What do you think you guys are building right now at Syracuse as you get ready to go through a second football season there? That's the stage we're in, the building stage, you know, and when I say that, you know, we're worried about today and being where our feet are and locking in today for today's meetings.

Walk through, lift, run, whatever it may be. They said one thing we preach around here is lock into the right now, you know, and be where your feet are and get better at that. We continue to get better every day. We'll be fine.

And you know what happens when you're trying to build something. You're number one, right? You put a lot of people in Syracuse on the map and then people look at it and they'll go, oh, maybe that was just lightning in a bottle. Are they going to be able to repeat? Are they going to be able to improve off of that? What do you say to people that are kind of doubting that just think this was a one hit wonder for Syracuse football and you guys can't have sustained success?

That's what fans, that's what fans are for, where they're there to make predicaments and have their own opinion. And all we can do is control what's happening in this building. So our kids are working hard. Our staffs are together and pushing each other to get better.

So like I said, all we can do is handle the work that we can control. And we got out there, it was time for us to go out there for the first game. Talking to Elijah Robinson right now, the assistant head coach at Syracuse, also their defensive coordinator. Clearly you and Fran Brown have known each other for a long time. I've known Fran for a long time.

I've known you for a long time. So I know what Elijah Robinson's about. I know what Fran Brown is about, but it's sometimes different when you transition from a coordinator or positional coach and you end up becoming the head coach. What did you observe of your close friend in Fran Brown in your one, how he made that transition to head coach? Because really, he took the nation by storm.

A lot of people talking very positively about Fran Brown after your one. Yeah, he remained who he is. He's true to himself. That's all you can ask of a man. You know, all he has is his name and he takes pride in his name. And he said he's always been a leader of men, a great motivator, and a guy who's always been up front.

And how can you not want to play for someone that way? You know what you're going to get every day from him. He's going to work extremely hard. He's not going to just ask people to work hard. He doesn't do himself. So he's a guy that, as I said, you can watch and he's practiced what he preaches every day.

And I think people gravitate gravitate to that was real. And we know the stops that you've made. Penn State, Temple, Baylor. You're at A&M. You were their interim head coach. I know that there's a trust that a special brotherhood that you have with Fran. But why was Syracuse and this opportunity the right opportunity for you in your next chapter of your career?

Like I said, from day one, we spoke, we talked about this for years, that we ever had an opportunity with each other. And we had a chance to coach together at Temple and at Baylor. It was a great opportunity for us to get back to the time when it was just right.

I knew he would do a tremendous job here. We take pride in the Northeast and the kids that we recruited, the kids that we coached, the kids we brought down to the South during our time at SEC. We had a chance to get back in our background. I mean, in our backyard and build something special at a place that was a unique program.

Mayor Syracuse, like I said, has great history, great tradition. So you go back to the guys we watched playing football in the NFL and shooting from our city who had great success here. So we're honored to be able to be here and help build this program to where it once was. Recruiting has changed so much.

Not only is that a high school now, but you're basically recruiting your kids each and every day with the easy access to the transfer portal. You've always been about relationships, Elijah Robinson. Fran Brown has always been about relationships.

Just what is that pitch? How do you sell kids on relationships right now when there's so many other reasons why a kid could pick to either stay or go to another school? Yeah, I don't think you can sell a relationship that's built. Like you said, you always hear about people saying, hey, we're family. This is a family. It's not truly a family until you've been through something. It's not truly a family until you build that relationship.

That's it. At the end of the day, we've got to show people that you're committed, that you care, and that you trust them. And vice versa. If that's not part of it, then it's usually not real. And like you said, relationships are stronger than words or slogans or any type of things like that.

So it has to be built. It has to be genuine. And that's not just with the players, but their parents, high school coaches, and whoever else is an influence in their life. I saw the way that you were able to recruit at Temple. I saw the way that Fran was able to recruit at Temple. And you're always able to bring in some guys that people go, wow, impressive that Elijah and Fran were able to get them. I keep on hearing about Demetrius Samuel Jr., right, enrolled at 16, just turned 17 a few months ago.

I'm reading these articles. Is he the next Travis Hunter? Because he could play both ways. What do you think he could bring to your program over at Syracuse? Well, he's a great, great young man, comes from a great family, a great high school program. He's just really mature. He's really mature. He's willing to put the work in, doesn't complain. He just goes out and busts his butt every day. And that's all we can ask from him. Like you said, I don't like to compare people. I don't want to call him the next Travis Hunter.

I think he is who he is. I'll tell you what, we had a freshman years ago back at Temple who was really mature and locked into what was asked of him from Fran Brown. That was Champ, you know, Champ, what I think I said was really early. So this kid's special, which is really special.

I just want to fill it off the field. So I'm looking forward to watching him. It's funny when I was going over some notes for this interview, I wrote down Champ and his name, because I remember the way that you guys talked about the work ethic and how much he just wanted to be around the team and the motor.

But you look at it now, I know you want to do the comparisons. You look at what Travis Hunter did, that motor to play offense and defense. You think that Dimitris has the motor to really go both ways at a high level?

I'd read you the special talent. You know, he has pride. He's tough. So he's going to fight his tail off and do whatever we can do to help this program. Elijah Robinson here with us for a few more minutes as we preview Syracuse's football season.

They kicked things off up against Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia, 87 days from now. Who else should we keep an eye on on your defense as we get set here? I know there's a lot of changes, a lot of turnover, but as you guys get set for your number two at Syracuse. Yeah, I mean, if you look at it, you got some guys that come back that has some success for us. Deuce Chestnut, you know, Devon Grant, Tank as well, Tank Wilson, you know, Barry Buxton. There's a lot of guys that's back that was already here, the Kevin Jobes of the world. Then we had some guys that we had a chance to bring in, you know, in my MPL and they Reese, Chris Thomas, you know, Rokes. You know, we had some guys that had a chance to come in to help us. But they said we had a good nucleus of guys that came back and we're looking forward to all those guys just getting a chance to help us.

I think the more healthy we can stay and we continue to work hard. These guys can show you their value here on this team. Last year, Kyle McCord did wonders for you guys. Now, when you look at the quarterback position, it's a battle with Steve Angeli and Ricky Collins. I know that you're on the defensive side, but you're also the assistant head coach. Just when you go up against those two right now in practices, how's the QB competition looking?

Well, I'll tell you what, Jeff Nixon, his staff does a tremendous job creating issues. And Coach Nozmann has been doing a great job of quarterbacks for years. So, like I said, both those guys are great competitors. I mean, that room alone with all those guys in there, they come out, they compete, they give us issues.

So, I was looking forward to watching the battle. And whoever we decide is our QB one, I'm looking forward to supporting them. And I know the rest of this program will do the same thing that we did with Kyle. For you guys, was the Miami win last year, was that the most special part of your season, just looking back at it? I'll tell you what, that was the last game of the season. And it was important for us that that was the game that we were in. But I think the most special game was the last game we played in.

And that was obviously the board game, Elijah Robinson with us. Last thing though, just Cam Moore, since you were able to go up against him, now he's off to the NFL since we're a national show. Just what do you think he can maybe do at the next level for the Tennessee Titans as he was the number one overall pick in the draft a few months ago? Well, I'll tell you what, it's the reason he was the number one pick.

It's more just having the challenge. That kid was a, yep, not a kid, but that young man, a tremendous talent, a really good quarterback, did a great job. Controlling that offense, you know, and he gave us a challenge. But you watch him look to his background, you know, it wasn't how he recruited. So that takes some toughness there to still go out there and compete.

Everywhere he went, he was successful. You know, so I don't think he's going to say NFL is going to change. I think he has a chance to continue to be special. He's Elijah Robinson. Elijah, great to connect up with you once again and good luck this upcoming season. Thank you, brother. Appreciate you.