2010 Spartan Nation Football Profile: Trenton Robinson Safety #39

 Expectation: Starting Free Safety  Height:  5’11”  Weight: 194#  2010 Eligibility: Junior  EXP: 2 letters  Status: High

 

Expectation:Â Starting Free Safety

 

Height:  5’11”

 

Weight:Â 194#

 

2010 Eligibility: Junior 

 

EXP:Â 2 letters

 

Status:Â High level performer with All Big Ten ability

 

Strengths: Speed, vision and no fear. Robinson is expected to perform at a high level now that he will permanently take over the starting free safety spot and not be looking over his shoulder.

 

He has tremendous vision and absolutely no fear when it comes to hitting people. Unlike many past safeties who loved to make the crowd at the high cathedral of the Spartan Nation ooh and aah with monster hits that made Sportscenter, Robinson is more of a meat and potatoes guy. He can make those hits, but he is a more textbook wrap up and drive-a -guy-to-the-ground player. Something coaches and I prefer.

 

Let’s look at the Alamo Bowl for some great examples of both his strengths and his weaknesses. With 9:24 remaining in the first quarter, the Red Raiders were facing a first and ten at the MSU 11. When the DE made a bad read, Robinson’s incredible vision allowed him to come from way out of position to stop what was surely a TD. His ability and vision allowed him to make the save and unfortunately many people will see that play and comment, “Well, Robinson must have made a poor read, that is why the guy got four yards.” That would be wrong. It was Robinson who made a great play. It still gave up yards and still wasn’t a success for the MSU D, but it was a great individual play by Robinson.

 

Previously on that same drive Trenton made another great play. With 10:05 on the clock at the MSU 38, Texas Tech ran another swing pass out of the backfield to the RB. The play was going AWAY from Robinson. The man he was covering made a great fake and ONLY because of the vision and speed of Robinson was he able to come across the entire field for a TD saving score on a 14-yard gain. Again, many will see the 14-yard gain and call it a failure on the Spartan defense. It was, but you also have to watch those kinds of plays to find out whose fault it was and who came up big. Robinson’s ability to textbook tackle, accelerate with his speed, and incredible vision have set a high ceiling for this young man. 

 

 

Weakness: Has to make reads quicker. Now at first glance you would think that this is opposite of what I said was his strength, which was vision. Reading and vision are different.

 

A read is the ability to see something BEFORE it happens. Not while it happens. Again, let’s head back to the Alamo Bowl for an example. When the Red Raiders were on the MSU 34 with 1:39 in the quarter left, once again the Red Raiders made a swing pass to the RB. As the play developed those swing passes seem to float in the air. They are not bullets. When the RB caught the ball he made his cut immediately up the field. Robinson didn’t react until after the RB had caught the ball and had planted his foot to cut. Had he made his read while the ball was in the air the Red Raider would have made no gain. Instead, it was a 13-yard reception.

 

Making better reads on assignments has more to do with experience than talent. We have already established that he has tremendous vision for what is going on on the field. With experience, he will develop the talent to make the read prior to actually seeing it live.

 

Final Analysis: Robinson is a smart and hardworking young man. When you point out a weakness as I did above people, for whatever reason, seem to understand that he was only a TRUE sophomore last year. In an Ohio State system he wouldn’t have even played until this year.

 

That is a true testament of this team and the youth they have. The fact that he has displayed so many strengths should be what people are looking at. When the 2010 season concludes you will see Robinson with a lot of respect around the conference. He is a big time talent and a big time player.