Freshman LB Kam Robinson is a diamond in the rough, a program-changer for UVA Football

By Jerry Ratcliffe

If there was a key to turning UVA football recruiting around in the state of Virginia, Tony Elliott firmly believed it all started with Kam Robinson.

Robinson was a multi-sport star at Essex High, a small school in Tappahannock, and for a long period of time, the secret hadn’t gotten out about just how good Robinson — a linebacker — really was. Elliott knew (and so did his staff) that landing a guy with Robinson’s athleticism could give Virginia recruiting an incredible boost.

“So Kam was a guy when I first got here, just evaluating tape, he jumped out at you on tape,” Elliott said about his true freshman linebacker. “On tape you saw him doing so many things. He played receiver, linebacker, kick returner, punter. He did everything for his high school.”

Elliott believed Robinson was a diamond in the rough and established him as UVA’s main recruiting target for last year’s class.

Robinson also played basketball for Essex, so he was somewhat surprised to look up into the crowd one night during the recruiting process and spotted eight UVA football coaches in the stands. Elliott was sending a strong message to the small-town country boy, who cared more about hunting and fishing than recruiting.

“I felt like he could be a program-changer,” Elliott said. “Just with his athleticism, he would be a big upgrade athletically. Being an in-state kid, having success here, big smile, serious about his education.

“I felt he could be the total package. I wanted to build around him and that’s why you saw eight coaches at one basketball game. We wanted to make it a point of emphasis. If we’re going to get into really recruiting the state, it starts with Kam Robinson.”

Toward the end of the recruiting process, Elliott said other schools found out about just how good Robinson was and a lot of football programs, some of them former powerhouses trying to return to that level of football, became heavily involved: Tennessee, Florida State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pitt, South Carolina and others.

“There at the end, the secret kind of got out and we were crossing our fingers,” Elliott said. “I think [official visits] to South Carolina and Florida State, man, we were holding on hoping that we could get him.”

In the end, it came down to Elliott’s Cavaliers and Florida State, with the Seminoles making a strong push, leading recruiting analysts predicting an FSU win. But Robinson remained true to his home and Wahoo fans are forever grateful.

Last Friday night against NC State, Robinson became only the third true freshman to start at inside linebacker for Virginia since the 2016 season.

The star recruit didn’t disappoint, registering 11 tackles to lead the team from his middle-linebacker spot, courtesy of the more experienced James Jackson, who moved over to weakside linebacker to accommodate the promising freshman. Robinson feels more comfortable at the Mike position, a spot normally reserved for the best linebacker, a player who can roam from side to side and be the most aggressive.

At the same time, there is pressure, because the Mike linebacker has to “set” the defensive front, make a lot of calls as sort of the “quarterback” of the defense. That can take time, particularly for a newcomer.

The 6-foot-2, 227-pound linebacker is a physical specimen.

“You look at his body, you don’t see many bodies that come in like that as a freshman,” Elliott said. “Here is a guy that was a three-sport athlete that wasn’t in the weight room and comes in at 220 pounds and looks like what a football player looks like.”

But that’s only the beginning. He’s explosive on the run, has great football instincts and can do things in pass coverage that are rare for a middle linebacker.

“Then when he diagnoses the play, he arrives violently,” Elliott said with a sparkle in his eye. “And then you see him in space and he’s able to make some plays because of his athleticism and his length.

“Athletically, he’s a big, fast linebacker that can play the run and he can give you some matchup opportunities in the passing game.”

Now, Elliott needs to find 21 more players just like him from the state of Virginia to get the ball rolling.

Robinson was asked about his performance after the narrow loss to the Wolfpack, and he was expectedly modest about the numbers he had posted.

“Okay, that’s all … I just think I did okay,” Robinson said. “I always can get better.”

That’s exactly what defensive coordinator John Rudzinski is hoping for, a talented freshman whose football growth accelerates in a hurry.

Robinson likes the aggressive nature and believes Virginia is starting to turn the corner on the pass rush and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He mentioned the Cavaliers’ mindset when it comes to the blitz.

“Running backs can’t block linebackers,” Robinson grinned slightly. “That’s our motto. That’s what we go by.”