A lot of kids growing up in Pennsylvania grew up loving Penn State, and kids of a certain generation grew up loving Saquon Barkley.
Juelz Chiron-Robinson was one of those kids, and he went above and beyond what most his age got to do.
Chiron-Robinson went to Saquon’s football camp, and he did more than just participate.
“There was this thing called the fastest race, like fastest camper,” Chiron-Robinson told Nittany Sports Now. “It was like a race, and I ended up winning the race. Actually, so I got a picture with Saquon, and then he talked to me about like what it means to, you know, play football at the highest level.”
Now, Chiron-Robinson is getting close to being able to play the college game, and the in-state product from Downingtown East is good enough to play at the Power Four level.
Along with Penn State recruiting him, he has offers from schools such as Cincinnati, Florida State, Kentucky and James Franklin’s Virginia Tech.
Chiron-Robinson wouldn’t go as far as to say that Penn State was his No. 1 school in the recruiting hunt, but he did say that it’s “definitely high on my list right now.”
“The connections I’ve built with them are very, very strong and like no other,” Chiron-Robinson said. “I have a very strong connection with (running backs) coach Savon Huggins. He really just kind of teaches me and just educates me on the game and just helps me become a better… actually, a better person.
So what does Huggins like about what Chiron-Robinson can do as a runner?
“He definitely compliments me on my vision, my speed, my ability to make people miss open space,” Chiron-Robinson said. “I just think he wants to see more aggression and, you know, finishing runs and just being able to be that all-around back. Which I’ve definitely been working on and can’t wait to show this upcoming season.”
Chiron-Robinson, a 5-foot-10, 180-pounder, has a similar build to Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions (5-foot-9, 202 pounds), and says he tries to pattern his game after that of Gibbs, who just signed a three-year extension that could be worth as much as $75.75 million.
“I feel like me and him have the same type of running style,” Chiron-Robinson said. “I feel like we are kind of in the same boat when it comes to that. I usually watch his tape a lot, and that’s how I implement some of the stuff that he does into my game. I really admire the way he can cut, the way he can jump cut to spin, just getting away and him being able to be so elusive is something I really admire.”
Chiron-Robinson was in grade school when he witnessed the “Mo Bamba Moment” against Michigan in 2019, and this year, will be coming back to Beaver Stadium, this time from the sidelines.
He plans to go on a recruiting visit Penn State football’s season opener against Marshall Sept. 5, and plans to return a little more than a month later for the Oct. 10 clash against USC, which is thought to be the favorite for this year’s “White Out Game.”
Being close enough to go to more than one Penn State game puts PSU at an advantage geographically.
“That’s definitely something I would consider,” Chiron-Robinson said. “You know, all of my family, hey, love seeing me. They love seeing me play, and they talk about how they really want to make it to every single game that I partake in whenever I am older. So that’s definitely something that I look towards when I am making my decision.”
Being in the Class of 2028, Chiron has plenty of time to make his decision, but already has a specific date in mind.
“I plan on committing next year around July Fourth,” he said, “like that weekend of July Fourth. I think that would be a great time for me to know. Get a couple schools down, and you know, pick a school that I am most comfortable with.”
