Elijah Robinson departed Syracuse earlier this month after two years on Fran Brown’s Orange staff as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and was an immediate, early top target in Lane Kiffin’s new LSU regime.

How advanced were Robinson’s discussions with Kiffin about joining the Tigers’s staff? Robinson flew down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was in the LSU football facilities, several sources told FootballScoop.

Then, Nebraska entered the picture. Matt Rhule had made sweeping changes along the defensive side of the ball for the Conrhuskers, and Rhule and Robinson previously had worked together at both Temple and Baylor.

There was chatter that Penn State had entered the chat; now, a new suitor has entered the scene for the services of Robinson. Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Robinson has discussed a return to Texas A&M.

It that was there Robinson spent six seasons as a top defensive assistant coach under Jimbo Fisher; he climbed from defensive line coach to run game coordinator to co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in that six-year span.

Robinson even served as the Aggies’s interim head coach when Fisher, with $75 million left on his contract, was fired by Aggies officials near the end of the 2023 season.

Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Aggies are the No. 7 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff and host No. 10 Miami Saturday at noon ET.

But Elko already knows his Aggies staff is going to have a drastically different composition in 2026. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein is off to become head coach at his alma mater, Kansas State. Klein would love to take Jordan Peterson as defensive coordinator, numerous sources tell FootballScoop and per additional reports.

It’s also expected that Klein is going to take additional staffers to his K-State program.

Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman also is on his way out the door in College Station, Texas. He’s set to become Kentucky’s defensive coordinator for first-year, first-time head coach Will Stein.

As for Robinson, between his 2017 campaign at Baylor under Rhule and his direct transition to Fisher’s Texas A&M program, Robinson coached for seven consecutive seasons in the Lone Star State. Sources tell FootballScoop a decision is expected to be shared no later than Monday. 

The Aggies, like many programs, are trying to balance their CFP preparations with also seeking to ensure as much roster stability as possible moving into the future.

For the first time since the onset of the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this decade, the Association moved to a single-window Transfer Portal after initially having two sessions that spanned 45 days before that was condensed last year into two sessions that covered 30 total days.

The single window is set to run Jan. 2-16, 2026.Â