On Wednesday, 4-star (HV Rating: 92.9) ATH Wandale Robinson flipped from Kentucky and joined the Huskers’ 2019 recruiting class. Robinson became the 23rd known member of the recruiting class. Though listed as an athlete, I’d count him toward the wide receiver numbers for this class, making him the third receiver of the class, joining Jamie Nance and Darien Chase.
Here are five thoughts on the commitment.
Major recruiting comeback
Whenever you beat out the surging home state school while also fending off Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Brohm for a recruit ,it is a reason to celebrate. Robinson was one of the most coveted skill position players around and for good reason. For most of his recruitment, Nebraska was not thought to be a major player until the end before his first announcement. The way this ended is another testament to how well the staff works behind the scenes to build relationships with prospects and their families.
Fits like a glove
Robinson is just simply a perfect fit in Nebraska’s offense with Scott Frost. Growing up, Robinson loved watching De’Anthony Thomas in the Oregon offense, which is very similar to how Frost would like to use him going forward. For a more recent comparison, think of the role that freshman Rondale Moore plays for Purdue currently. When speaking with Robinson’s high school coach Don Miller he highlighted some of his strengths as a prospect.
“I think the biggest strength is his field vision," Miller said. "Wandale has the linear and lateral speed but the field vision really sets him apart from others.”
Kudos to Ryan Held
Since taking over the running back coach position at Nebraska, Ryan Held has proved that he can flat-out recruit. He landed 4-star Maurice Washington and the departed 4-star Greg Bell in the 2018 cycle. For 2019, he followed it up with 4-star Ronald Thompkins, 3-star Rahmir Johnson, the top junior college running back 3-star Dedrick Mills and now Robinson. The running back and Duck-R position going forward shouldn’t be of any concern to Husker fans as long as Held is here.
Another top target identified and secured
Once again, Nebraska has secured one of its top overall targets. If they consistently do that and are correct in their evaluations, things will go very well for this staff. Right now, the Huskers are on a roll with guys at the top of their board. Robinson joins OT Bryce Benhart and LB Nick Henrich as players that Nebraska viewed as “must-gets” who are now in the class.
Future offense looks scary
Now that Robinson is in the class, allow yourself to picture this scenario. Adrian Martinez takes a snap from Cam Jurgens with Maurice Washington, JD Spielman, Chris Hickman and Wandale Robinson as the skill position players running around with Bryce Benhart also blocking on the line. I ran through that little exercise to say that Nebraska is building an offense that will be very difficult to deal with moving into the future.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
