Wan’Dale Robinson was a 4-star prospect from Western Hills high school in Frankfort, KY. In high school he was Kentucky’s Mr. Football and the Gatorade Kentucky player of the year. Originally committed to the Kentucky Wildcats (only 35 minutes from home), he would ultimately decommit and choose to play for Scott Frost and the Nebraska Cornhuskers after learning that the Wildcat’s OC at the time planned on implementing a run-heavy scheme.
At Nebraska, he was productive in his freshman year. He provided a multi-purpose skillset as a receiver, rusher, and kick returner. He finished the year with 453 receiving yards and 340 rushing yards on 88 attempts. Robinson was 2nd on the team in receiving yards and the Huskers 3rd leading rusher. The 2020 season was a down year for the Nebraska Cornhuskers due to erratic quarterback play by Adrian Martinez and covid disrupting the normal flow of activities week to week. Still, Wan’dale rushed for 240 yards at 5.2 yards per carry and led the team in all receiving metrics. His improvement and added usage as a receiver came at the cost of less rush attempts. Remember, Wan’dale didn't want to go to a run-heavy scheme, but wanted to play for a school close to home. He got his wish when Kentucky brought in Liam Coen from the Los Angeles Rams as the Wildcats newest OC. Coen told Robinson that he would use him the same way the Rams utilized Cooper Kupp. I'll stop the daydream now, Wan’Dale is not and was not Cooper Kupp.
As a junior in 2021, Wan’Dale got what he always wanted. He was playing for a school close to home and was the focal point of the passing game. His 39.3% target share at a school in the SEC helped him set records at Kentucky. He set single season records in receptions (104) and receiving yards (1,334) on a Kentucky offense that was without another receiver of note on the roster. In the final game against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, he posted 10 catches for 170 yards including clutch catches in the game winning drive. Wan’Dale Robinson was selected in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. An aging Kenny Golladay, consistently hurt Sterling Shepard, and weird team relationship with Toney all point to a wheels up season for Wan’Dale. He’s not Deebo Samuel, but can be used as a gadget guy if needed like he was used at Kentucky. He’s also a guy that the Breakout Finder model absolutely loves because of his dynamism.
Wan'Dale would go on to appear in six games, and produced decent numbers in three games, however, during the week 11 matchup, he tore his ACL, and was lost for the remainder of the season. It will take some time for Wan'Dale to be completely recovered, and the Giants have a bevy of slot receivers that can play his role, allowing him to take his time recovering. We should not expect much from Robinson this year, but if he is able to return early enough, and be fully recovered, he could ascend as a top slot receiver in the NFL.
