Gators Believe DL D'Antre Robinson 'Can Be a Franchise Player'

Florida's coaching staff expressed its belief that defensive lineman D'Antre Robinson "can be a franchise player" during his Gators official visit.

Photo: D'Antre Robinson; Credit: Zach Goodall

Orlando (Fla.) Jones defensive lineman D'Antre Robinson exited his weekend official visit to Florida with a sense of confidence, understanding just how much he is valued by the Gators' coaching staff.

Defensive line coach Sean "Chaos" Spencer, in particular, made it known that the Gators view Robinson as a special talent.

"Really good being with coach Chaos," Robinson said. "He's teaching me a few things and his message to me is, like, he really feels like I can be a franchise player with my size and my ability to move around."

Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and defensive line assistant Kali James were also among the coaches that made Robinson feel like a priority for Florida during the visit.

The trio of coaches explained their vision for Robinson's deployment in the Gators' defense, should he pick Florida at the end of his recruitment. Although Robinson primarily projects to play along the interior defensive line at his size, the coaching staff believes he could align across the formation as a three-down contributor.

"They want to use me all over the D-line," Robinson explained. "They feel I could do stunts and they feel I can be a first, second and third down player so that's what they really like about me."

Robinson, 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, is considered the No. 34 defensive lineman and No. 305 overall prospect in the class of 2024, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Across two varsity seasons at Jones, Robinson has compiled 137 total tackles, 11 sacks, 33 tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

On-field utilization was not the only highlight for Robinson, however. He expressed an appreciation for Florida's new weight room in the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center, which opened in Aug. 2022, and its operation.

Head coach Billy Napier, within weeks of his Dec. 2021 hiring, quickly put together an expansive staff of off-field trainers to help players develop their physique, athleticism and all-around health. 

"I really like the weight room, weight room coaches," Robinson said. "One thing that caught my attention the most [was] the weight room training. I really like how the weight trainers train the players outside of just weightlifting. So, the players can go and train with the weight room coaches on the side."

As a whole, the visit "definitely" helped Florida in the big picture that is Robinson's recruitment. But with at least three more official visits to come, the Gators still have work to do in order to secure Robinson's eventual commitment.

Robinson plans to officially visit Ohio State, Georgia and Texas by the end of June, and has not ruled out additional official visits to other programs during the 2023 season.

As a result, Robinson isn't-necessarily in a rush to finalize his college pledge.

"I might take things into the fall during the season," Robinson suggested. "Make a decision during the season."

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