Utah native Ryder Robinson arrived in Provo in the fall of 2024 as a sophomore, eager to make the starting lineup for the BYU Cougars.
The TCU transfer had bounced around the infield in his lone season as a Horned Frog, but the role waiting for him on the Cougar lineup card was at shortstop.
“I had never even played shortstop for a full season before I got here,” said Robinson, the 2023 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year.
Fast forward almost two years, and Robinson is turning heads nationally as one of the top shortstops in college baseball.
Robinson was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding shortstop.
On top of that, he was already recognized mid-season as the Brooks Wallace Player of the Week. The honor came after an 8-for-16 week at the plate that included three home runs and four RBIs. That power at the plate, combined with an errorless week in the field, boosted Robinson and BYU to a 2-1 series victory over Cincinnati.
That’s our shortstop 👏 pic.twitter.com/4JKSqQnApt
— BYU Baseball (@BYUBaseball) April 22, 2026
So what caused Robinson, a starter for a historically prominent TCU program as a freshman, to make the choice to come back to BYU?
For lack of a better term, it was FOMO.
“When I was there [TCU], my brother was playing here at BYU. He was here with my friends, Easton Jones and all them, and I was like, ‘Dang, they look like they're having a lot of fun.’ I was kind of jealous of them,” Robinson said.
He attended American Fork High School with current Cougar third baseman Easton Jones and his younger brother Cooper Jones.
While he flashed his potential at TCU, coming home to Utah to suit up for BYU has taken his game to a new level. One major factor in Robinson’s development at shortstop has been first base coach and former Cougar middle infielder Adam Law.
“I’ve been working hard with Adam and having him develop me there … I don’t think I could have made the shift without him,” Robinson said.
While Robinson has consistently swung one of the hottest bats on the team, that time spent with coach Law has helped him turn into just as much of an asset in the field as he is in the batter’s box. Robinson has recorded 79 putouts and added 104 assists while committing just nine errors on the season.
For BYU’s captain of the infield, that success has come in large part to his mentality as soon as he steps on the diamond.
“I feel like I’m ready to go from the first pitch, not really worried about anything. I’m just ready to take it one play at a time,” Robinson said.
At the plate, Robinson has hit in the heart of the lineup all season for the Cougars. Usually manning the No. 3 spot, he has slashed his way to a .311 batting average and .916 OPS. Both marks rank second on the team.
Not to be lost in the shuffle is Robinson’s threat as a baserunner. He leads the Cougars in stolen bases, stealing 10 bases on 12 attempts, and is the team leader in runs scored with 40.
Part of what makes Robinson such a dangerous hitter is the trust placed in him by the coaching staff to consistently hit in the middle of the potent Cougar offense.
“When I get in the box,” Robinson said, “knowing that they want me in that position gives me all the confidence I need to go and do what I need to do.”
Robinson’s full-time transition to short may be recent, but his love for the game is not. Baseball has been a part of his life as long as he can remember.
As previously noted, Robinson’s brother Crew played in BYU’s infield the year before Ryder arrived. But these two are not the first Robinson brothers to burst on the scene; they follow in the footsteps of their father Darek and uncle Dillon.
Dillon was the first Robinson to play for the Cougars, suiting up from 2011 to 2015, while Darek played his college ball elsewhere before playing professionally in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Because baseball runs through the veins of the Robinson family, Ryder has always had a one-track mind: play ball.
“I've known my whole life that this is what I want to do, and try to do it for the rest of my life. Being able to follow in their footsteps, knowing that they've all made it to this level … I just want to try and do the same.”
It’s that lifetime love for the game that fuels Ryder’s consistent drive to take his game to the next level. When asked what motivates him each day, Robinson pointed back to that lifelong love for the game.
“I’m just doing it for my 8-year-old self. The 8-year-old me that fell in love with the game, I don’t want to fall out of that dream,” he said.
His younger self would likely take pride in the year Ryder and the Cougars are having. His dominance on both sides of the ball has helped BYU cash in on its most successful season in the Big 12 since joining the conference in 2023. Picked to finish second to last in the conference’s preseason poll, the Cougars currently sit at No. 8 and have cemented themselves as a real threat.
One of the clear differences in this year’s team compared to years past is what Ryder describes as a united desire to win.
“Last year, it felt like not everyone was on the same page. This year, we’re all coming together … in the back of our minds, trying to get to an NCAA tournament regional has been a big motivation for us,” he said.
Now one of the upperclassmen and leaders in the locker room, he knows what it feels like to be the new guy on the squad hoping to carve out a role. He’s stepped up not only as the leader of the defense, but a leader in the locker room as well.
“I try and do everything the right way in practice and be a leader by example, showing them how to go about things the right way,” Robinson said.
As his junior season comes to a close, Robinson’s focus isn’t on any award or recognition. His focus is on the team on the front of his jersey: doing things the right way to help elevate his hometown Cougars to new heights.