College Footall Needs to be Ready for UCF's Jaylon Robinson
UCF football lost a great wide receiver at the conclusion of the 2020 season with Marlon Williams moving on to the NFL. UCF still has another weapon, and one that’s capable of producing just as much if not even more catches, yards and touchdowns.
As a receiver, Williams rolled up 71 receptions for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. That would be hard to duplicate for the vast majority of college football’s wide receivers. Well, not every wide receiver has the skills, and now the experience, that another of UCF’s returning wide receivers possesses.
That wide receiver would be Jaylon Robinson. Turn on the tape. Go ahead. Watch Robinson blow by cornerbacks, stop and start to make a safety or linebacker run right by him after catching a pass, or take a simple slant route and out run the trailing cornerback for a big gain. That’s just what he did all of last season while being a part of a very well balanced offense. That was his first season as a full-time college football player, too.
Building on the 2020 Season
For the 2021 season, Robinson needs to not only gobble up yards and make acrobatic catches, but also make the opportune catch that seals a game and/or scores the winning touchdown. It’s not like he has not done it before, so he will be counted on to continue to build on last season’s production.
His 55 receptions for 979 yards and six touchdowns in 2020 included many big plays, and many big games. Robinson destroyed several secondaries last season, such as during the road game at East Carolina where he accounted for nine receptions, 150 yards receiving, and two touchdowns.
It was more of the same when the Knights traveled to Memphis. Robinson dismantled the Tigers as he rolled up 10 receptions for 173 yards and two more touchdowns. No matter the coverage, no matter the opponent, those are elite wide receiver statistics.
For 2021, many people might consider it more likely that Robinson’s stats will dissipate because teams will key on him. While true, teams will watch his every move, there are a couple of items to consider that favor Robinson and the Knights.
UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn already proved long ago that he loves to utilize receivers with jet sweeps and reverses, so it’s just another way for Robinson to touch the football and make something happen. He’s a great fit for what Coach Malzahn likes to do for his wide receivers, and that's just part of the equation.
Additionally, Coach Malzahn and his offensive staff will also find creative ways to place Robinson in enviable situations with formations and tempo, and Robinson already became familiar with the latter concept while playing for UCF last fall. There’s also one other prime reason Robinson should explode this next season.
This will be Robinson’s second season playing with quarterback and Heisman hopeful Dillon Gabriel. No two positions are intertwined quite like wide receiver and quarterback. Now that the two star offensive weapons know each other well, there should be even more big plays between Gabriel and Robinson than last season.
Final Thoughts
There are few players with the explosive play-making ability that Robinson possesses. When combined with Gabriel and other offensive weapons that return to UCF as well as transferred to UCF like wide receiver Jordan Johnson, it’s going to be hard to slow down the Knights this fall.
Robinson should be the catalyst during most games, even with the other offensive weapons, and he’s earned the right to be called on of the nation's most explosive players. Get ready for liftoff, as Robinson will take off during the 2021 season.
As a prediction, Robinson will catch 68 passes, record over 1,200 yards receiving, and account for 12 total touchdowns. Robinson will push for All-American status and it will be well deserved.
You will find me on Twitter @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation
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