Every time Tennessee gets a commitment in either football or men’s basketball, we will write up an impact report looking at what that recruit does well, what we feel he needs to improve in his game, and what his projected impact with the Vols could be over the next few years.
Latest Commit: James Robinson, OG
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 325 pounds
School: Carver (Alabama)
Home Town: Montgomery, AL
Rankings
247Sports Composite: No. 1,076 overall, No. 69 OG
247Sports: No. 744 overall, No. 42 OG
Rivals: 5.5 rating
Notable Offers: Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
What we like:
If you’re looking for an offensive lineman with a huge frame who can move exceptionally well, James Robinson is your man. He’s a behemoth, but he doesn’t move like you’d expect. He can get out to the edge quickly and is very effective at pulling on run blocks. Robinson has very good bend, which is vital for an offensive lineman. The word that perfectly describes Robinson is a “mauler” along the offensive line, and his attitude and physicality at camp is what impressed Tennessee’s coaches. He also has a lot of versatility, as he’s played both guard and tackle in high school. He’s not just a one-dimensional blocker, either; Robinson has a quick enough first step in pass blocking to make sure speed rushers don’t get by him. Forget what his rankings say; look at Robinson’s offer list, and you’ll see what coaches around the SEC think of him.
Places to improve:
While he’s physically a monster, Robinson still has some techniques he needs to fine tune. His hand placement is inconsistent, and he gets away with just having superior strength at times against high school opponents. Footwork doesn’t look like it’s all that much of an issue for him, but he’ll need to get off some of his bad weight in order to improve his conditioning and become even quicker. Robinson is huge, but not all that weight is good weight right now.
Analysis:
All the areas for improvement for Robinson are easy fixes that shouldn’t take more than a year or two to mend. Tennessee shouldn’t need him to come in and contribute right away, and he’s probably not ready to just yet. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a high ceiling, though. Robinson plays with a nasty attitude, and his physicality is unmatched at the high school ranks right now. He may be able to redshirt in his first year at UT, but I expect he should find his way on the field sooner rather than later.
