Cody Robinson is willing to wait on Tennessee.
The 6-foot-3, 298-pound offensive lineman from Warren County High School in McMinnville has faith that the Vols will eventually extend a scholarship offer based on his ability and family tie to UT.
"They said they really like me," the News Sentinel's 10th-best prospect in the state said. "I think they're going to offer. I'm pretty sure they're going to offer. I just don't know when it's going to be."
If the Vols don't offer, it won't necessarily be an indictment of Robinson's play. By his own admission, he may not be the type of offensive lineman that would fit every system.
Robinson is scrappy - not smooth.
"I'm definitely not one of those finesse guys," Robinson said. "When I play, it's fast and physical. If you're in my way, I'm going to run you over. That's the type of game I try to play."
Robinson probably learned that approach from his father, Ray Robinson, who played center at UT 1985-88. That tie to the Robinson family makes UT's pending decision on the younger Robinson all the more intriguing.
"Every offer is definitely great," Robinson said when asked what a UT offer would mean. "I have a history with Tennessee; it would be a good offer to get."
Robinson has scholarship offers from several schools. including Syracuse, Kentucky, Duke, Vanderbilt, Memphis, and Tulane.
In addition to UT, Robinson has received strong interest from Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and UCLA.
"Just talking to a bunch of people right now," Robinson said. "They're still evaluating me right now."
The Syracuse offer carries a different sort of credibility than the others. Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone is a longtime NFL and college offensive line coach. Recruiting coordinator/offensive line coach Greg Adkins also has a long history of recruiting successful offensive linemen.
"They say they like the way I come off the ball," said Robinson, who will visit Syracuse this week. "Those guys are old school. They're going to line up and run you over.
"That's what they think I can do for them. They want somebody who can run somebody over when it's fourth down."
While an offer from UT could certainly shake up Robinson's recruiting, he doesn't seem determined to stay close to home no matter which school offers.
"Location is definitely a factor,'' he said, "but if I find that perfect school, no matter where it's at, that's where I'm going to go - if it's an hour away or 15 hours away."
Sounds like Robinson has done some map checking. The drive from McMinnville to Syracuse is just over 15 hours.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
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Comments » 20
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Sounds like he wants to be a Vol.
Corch him into the system.
Bigger_Al writes:
In the words of Sir Charles Barkley, a lot of those "academic schools" are after him. Seems like that is the story with a lot of Dooley's recruits. Beating out Stanford and Duke more often than Alabama and Florida...
rockydog writes:
This is a really good kid. He won't be a distraction to the team. He has a very strong work ethic. He was recently a MVP at the Nike camp at Tulane. Right now one of the services has him as a very high 3/ almost 4 star. This kid knows his football. He is also very fast for his size. He can play center too. If he faced stiffer competition, he would be much more well known. He plays O-line and D-line and plays with a nasty streak even though he he is really nice and kind off the field. He really should receive an offer. I think he would have already received one except his name has been out there too long due to weak competition and his team isn't real good. Go VOLS!
FWBVol writes:
I remember his dad, and Ray Robinson was a guy that played fast and nasty. You can coach some of the finer points of the game and for a kid to be more of a finesse player, but you have to be born with that fast and physical mentality. This is the kind of kid we need.
kjennin3 writes:
we haven't even offered him you fool
kjennin3 writes:
he wants Kerbyson as well fyi
orangecountyvols writes:
What's BIG about Alabama is their MOUTHS, Mr 24.
Also, a BIG inability to find their own website, oops we forgot.........they haven't been able to design anything like that.
Having addressed one of the trolls, now back to the Vols. Robinson, just follow your dad's footsteps.
nicknack1 writes:
Alabama is killing us in stealing the best Tennessee players. We need to recruit alot in West Tennessee, where the best TN talent is from. Dooley is gonna have to realize that you can't recruit just in Tennessee and Georgia. We need to go strong into Louisiana and Florida, where he is supposed to have strong ties. Tennessee just doesn't have any strong high schools, and Maryville was not as strong as people thought. Look at St. Thomas Aquinas, DeMatha, Byrnes, etc and those high schools could basically be college teams. We need to start going to those schools and not going to Heritage or William Blount, just as a point.
jzt writes:
Good football player, good kid, good family, and I suspect a good student, sure he probably won't be a contributor till he is in his third year, what are you waiting on Dooley, get him in the fold, I am sure he meets all the "character" requirements.
w4tey#282182 writes:
This kid has Tennessee in his heart and apparently has the ability. Should be a foregone conclusion to sign him !
DaddyVol writes:
There's a good surprise in store. Could be announced in the next week.
crimsonviper writes:
Off topic again ZZ.Get with the program.
jimr07 writes:
especially the last ten years. we were feared all over the country. especially florida. he ain't coming back.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Rich, for some reason Vol high school players rarely (Some exceptions now) do very good in college football. You may recall back several years ago, a Vol coach gave the 14 top high schoolers in our state football schlorships. The move was a bust, the The Tennessee boys did not help the Vols at all...this remains a mystery to this day. We still can't get good local players.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
Rich now and then a Tennessee boy will surprise us at some other school...to even this out, two of our high schoolers became great college and pro players...Doug Adkins and Reggie White both Tennesseans became two of the finest defensive linemen in the history of pro football.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Yes and here in Chattanooga Reggie played at Howard High on Broad St. The city renamed a street kinda close to his HS "Reggie White Blvd" a few years back right after he died.
Syracuse? This kid is considering the 'Cuse? In football? UMMMMM......ok
DaddyVol writes:
I can't say yet.
Unreliable source, and then there's the jinx factor.
May not pan out at all...but...let's wait and see what happens.
You know how worthless rumors are.
Down_The_Field writes:
beattie feathers, travis stephens, reggie cobb, charles mcrae, j.j. mcclesky, mose phillips, johnny majors, bobby majors, jackie walker, phillip fulmer, bill bates, andy kelly, chad clifton, larry seavers, mike cofer, etc. this is just off the top of my head.
another post trashing tennessee kids.
the alabubba mullet heads signed 3 of our top ten last year and lsu signed a few too. are they stupid????
we should always go after the top 15 in tennessee. sign this kid. we won't have to worry about whether he'll give his all for tennessee.
volboy81 writes:
bamaboy, its time you started worring about your own future...like SATAN leaving in a few years....then you'll be right back to your early and mid 2000s teams. mediocre at best!
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
I agree about ST Thomas and So. Fla and LA> but Myles has done well holding that state; With UM;Gators and now FSU;we aren't going to pull those kids as long as the Vols can't even break the top 10..meanwhile bama and the gators out recruit us largely because they are NC contenders every year..Lets face it these kids want BCS exposure and a NC ring;who wouldn't?? The Vols are still a major program recruiting nationwide getting good talent but we need to knock Bama;UF and lsu off those 11-1 seasons and make a new dynasty..It's a long road but we have proven it's not impossible
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