Dismissal of Jovon Robinson Makes Gus Malzahn's Job Even Tougher to Save

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn's offense had few sure things heading into 2016. Jovon Robinson was one of those—until Wednesday, that is.

On the first day of a fall camp that will lead into a make-or-break season for Gus Malzahn, the Auburn head coach announced he had dismissed his No. 1 running back.

"[Robinson] did not meet my standards or expectations of what it takes to be an Auburn Tiger football player," Malzahn said. "We're going to have zero distractions on this team this year. I've given him his release and we wish him the best."

According to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com, Auburn dismissed Robinson for "missing classes and meetings and 'continued inattention to detail in everything.'" Robinson denied those claims by McMurphy in a message to James Crepea of AL.com, and Malzahn declined to release any details of why he was dismissed.

What is known about the dismissal is that it erased Malzahn's most established offensive weapon from the roster. It also makes it tougher for him to stay on the Plains past 2016.

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After a 7-6 campaign in 2015 that featured some of the worst offensive production of his coaching career, Malzahn was set to go back to the basics in 2016. The Tigers would use more of the run-first scheme from 2013 and 2014, when they had one of the most feared offenses in college football.

Robinson, who rushed for 90 or more yards in five of Auburn's final six games of 2015, was going to be the cornerstone of that attack. The former No. 1 JUCO recruit was an every-down back who could beat defenses with strength and speed.

A better offense and an improved record would cool off any hot-seat talk surrounding Malzahn's future at Auburn.

But now Malzahn's offense has a major question mark at quarterback, a lack of established receivers and a running game that lost its three top running backs in terms of yardage this offseason. Sports on Earth's Matt Brown summarized Auburn's disarray:

That's a recipe for a potential meltdown in 2016—one that could cost Malzahn his job.

No. 1 running back Peyton Barber left school early with two years of eligibility left to go to the NFL, where he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. No. 3 rusher Roc Thomas, a former 5-star recruit, decided to transfer to FCS program Jacksonville State in June.

Now No. 2 is gone.

Name	Carries	Yards	TDs	Still at Auburn for 2016?
Peyton Barber	237	1,016	13	No (declared for NFL draft)
Jovon Robinson	117	639	3	No (dismissed Wednesday)
Roc Thomas	43	261	1	No (transferred in June)
Kerryon Johnson	52	208	3	Yes

The only running back on Auburn's roster who recorded a carry last season is Kerryon Johnson, a sophomore who played multiple roles as an offensive reserve and missed all of spring practices following shoulder surgery.

Johnson, who is listed by Auburn at 6'0" and 211 pounds, wasn't an every-down running back in high school at Madison Academy in Alabama. But he's now set to be one at Auburn, and Malzahn said he's ready to make the transition.

"He's a guy that we've recruited to be a marquee back," Malzahn said. "He's got a great opportunity now. He's in a good spot. ... We recruited him expecting him to be a feature back. We're very confident he can do that."

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The depth behind Johnson is made up of converted fullbacks Kamryn Pettway and Chandler Cox, true freshman Malik Miller and Baylor transfer Kameron Martin. None of them have recorded a carry for Auburn.

The Tigers, of course, are all saying they're still confident in the running game.

"I mean, Jovon was a great player, but we have a lot of great running backs that I feel like are going to do a job, and they're going to be ready to step up," wide receiver Marcus Davis said. "You have [Johnson]. Kamryn Pettway is a guy that's really been eye-opening since the springtime, and we just have a lot of different guys that are willing to step up."

However, there's no denying a program that's known for producing effective running backs year in and year out is in a tough spot heading into 2016, as Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee noted:

Malzahn's decision to dismiss Robinson won't necessarily make his seat any hotter. If Robinson was a potential distraction to the team because of his reported issues, then Malzahn made the right decision to send him away.

He made it clear he didn't want another situation like he had with former wide receiver Duke Williams in 2015. Williams missed part of fall camp for an undisclosed disciplinary issue and was kicked off the team in October following an incident in which he broke the jaw of teammate Xavier Dampeer.

The decision to dismiss Robinson, much like the one involving Williams last year, has the backing of Auburn's veteran leaders.

"We all support Coach's decision," left tackle Austin Golson said. "No one player is going to be able to take down our team. I believe that we're going to respond well and just keep practicing. We have plenty of other options that will be able to help us out. I think we're all going to be fine."

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But on paper, getting from where Auburn's offense is right now to "fine" will take an incredible amount of progress.

Malzahn's chances of finding his mojo again on offense will be more difficult without an established running back to lead the way. The Tigers' issues in the passing game last year remain, and they face a dilemma in choosing between quarterbacks John Franklin III, Jeremy Johnson and Sean White.

Combine all that with a tough schedule, and Auburn's outlook for 2016 looks even more bleak. The Tigers will need Kerryon Johnson to emerge as a breakout star and get solid production out of its inexperienced depth.

Robinson's dismissal won't hurt Malzahn's job security if it was indeed the right thing to do for team chemistry. But the effects it might have on offense could send him out the door by the end of the year.

Inconsistency on offense doomed Auburn in 2015. Now it has lost a big part of its continuity.

For Malzahn to stay in Auburn past this fall, he will have to pull off his best coaching job yet.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.