Film Room: Jordan Robinson

Roster building never stops in college football. The Big Blue Nation was handed more evidence of that on Wednesday when Kentucky added a surprise from transfer flipping Appalachian State commit Jordan Robinson.

After one season spent at Livingston (N.C.) College playing Division II football, the South Carolina native entered the transfer portal in March. One month after committing, Robinson has had a change of heart and will be joining the Kentucky program as a sophomore for the 2022 season.

Who is Jordan Robinson? Let’s step into the KSR Film Room to find out. At 6-foot-4 with length and movement skills, the transfer appears to have the traits needed to succeed in a zone-heavy scheme.

Kentucky’s MO on defense is to prevent explosive plays. The Wildcats use a plethora of three-deep coverages and typically do not commit a lot of bodies to pressure the quarterback. That scheme has worked well under defensive coordinator Brad White. However, length at cornerback is needed to help that system thrive. That trait is enhanced when defensive backs have movement skills.

In the zone drop, Robinson does a great of reading the quarterback and following his eyes to the target. Once the cornerback locates the target, the Division II cornerback shows some short-area burst and arrives at the receiver with bad intentions. Closing space is a needed attribute, and Robinson combines technique with athleticism to record a havoc play.

The ability to run in coverage and sit correctly in zone drops does check important boxes, but cornerbacks must make plays on the ball when passes are in the air. That is something Kentucky did not have in 2021. Despite being somewhat raw as a cornerback prospect right now, Robinson does a good job of ball-tracking and using length to his advantage.

In both isolation situations, the cornerback does a good job of locating the football while maintaining close coverage. When the pass arrives, Robinson flashes ball skills using his long frame to record a pair of havoc plays.

When called to play man coverage, Robinson flashes potential. The big cornerback does a good job of playing in-phase and using his hands to help win the rep.

In bump-and-run coverage, Robinson gets locked on the wideout early and does a good job keying in on the receiver’s inside shoulder. Locking on there will tell the defensive back what direction the route will go. Once the wideout declares, the defender should win the rep since he is “in-phase”. Robison determines this is a go-route and flips his hips to complete the coverage.

The throw is off target, but an accurate pass would’ve created a great shot at an interception thanks to the cornerback winning early and getting on top of the route. The hands likely stayed on too long — and that is something the defensive back will have to improve on — but the tools are there for Robinson to win in man coverage.

Kentucky entered this offseason knowing the program had to upgrade at cornerback. After signing two high school prospects, the coaching staff has now dipped into the transfer portal to land two players who appear to be fit at boundary cornerback.

Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith has just one year of eligibility remaining and is expected to be a starter this year. However, the addition of Jordan Robinson could give the position a succession plan with a high ceiling.

The Division II transfer is a raw prospect that needs to add good weight and play strength, but there are some intriguing traits — length, movement skills, vision — that give Robinson a high ceiling.. Secondary coach Chris Collins logs a recruiting win as the Wildcats hope to have found a hidden gem that can help the defense after some development.