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UPDATE
It looks like Kentucky has surged ahead for Wandale Robinson. You can watch his announcement today here.
On Thursday, another Bluegrass high school football star will reveal his college choice as Western Hills running back Wandale Robinson makes his decision as to where he will take his talents.
Robinson, a four-star prospect according to Rivals, is a top 20 athlete prospect who has narrowed his final five colleges to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Kentucky Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers, and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Throughout the recruiting process, Robinson has been courted heavily for his dual-threat skills out of the backfield Not only does he have the ability to be a home-run hitter carrying the ball, Robinson is a threat in the passing game as well coming out of the backfield as well.
Ahead of his decision, Robinson made some interesting comments in a Rivals article.
“I’m a hometown kid and I see that there’s a need for me with their offense. They need playmakers to add explosiveness and they’ve made it an emphasis that they need me to fill that role. To be able to stay in Kentucky, it would set me up with a great network of alumni because everyone in the state would know me and it would make life after football easier. That’s what Kentucky has been telling me, stay home, represent my home state and enjoy life after football here as well. That’s really big for them, the life after football aspect.”
With this in mind, the staff at A Sea of Blue have assembled a roundtable to give their predictions on where the talented back will make his home.
Nick Wheatley
Wandale Robinson is one of the best players in the state of Kentucky. It would be HUGE to get a commitment from the four-star all-purpose back. The 5’9, 170-pound star is my favorite player in the 2019 class in the state of Kentucky. I think he’s that good. He can play RB or he can play slot receiver. But I think he ends up as a Lynn Bowden-type.
That’s why the Cats have deployed the big dog, Vince Marrow, to try and bring him in. It’s hard to doubt Marrow on the recruiting trail, as his track record is fantastic, but I’m a little nervous about this recruitment.
The speedy Robinson is the statewide leader in points scored with 250 on the season. That’s 28 rushing TDs, nine receiving TDs, four return/defensive TDs, and three 2-point conversions. 41 total TDs. That’s absolutely insane. And he’s the leading scorer by a whopping 50 (!) points. Second place isn’t even close. This would be a massive haul for Stoops, Marrow, and Co.
However, I don’t think he will end up in Kentucky blue. The Cats have pulled out all the stops for Robinson, but I just don’t think it’s enough in the end. It’s going to be UK, Nebraska, or Ohio State. And I would be shocked if he picked the Buckeyes. I wouldn’t be shocked if he picked the Cats, but I have a feeling he’ll end up a Cornhusker in Nebraska with Scott Frost.
Prediction: Nebraska
Adam Haste
The seventh-ranked player in the State of Kentucky, Wandale Robinson is going to be making his college decision and Mark Stoops and his staff are hoping they land the 4-star player.
If Stoops can land Robinson, he will be getting a very athletic player that can do so much on the football field. He has over 2800 all purpose yards on the season 30+ touchdowns. He is an incredible player and would be a huge pickup for this team going forward.
Although most experts believe he is going to end up at Nebraska, I think Kentucky is still strongly in the running and wouldn’t be surprised if he announces for either school.
Prediction: Kentucky
Drew Brown
Everything I have heard to this point about Wandale Robinson’s decision has not been favorable for Kentucky. I have been told stories and seen videos of his dazzling athleticism. It would be great to see him stay home and wear Kentucky blue, but it seems unlikely.
Robinson may want to get out of the state and explore other options, which is fine. Nebraska seems to be the big leader right now, but who knows, maybe the advertising in Time Square will work some magic and help UK land Wandale Robinson.
Eh, I doubt it.
Prediction: Nebraska
Jason Hoskins
Arguably Kentucky’s biggest target, Wandale Robinson, is ready to make his college decision. Kentucky and Vince Marrow has been recruiting this Frankfort native for a while now, but lead experts say that Robinson is trending towards Nebraska. Robinson also has offers from schools such as Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan, which really speaks to how big he’ll be for whoever gets him.
As bad as Kentucky wants this kid I believe that it is very likely that he will be committing to Nebraska.
Prediction: Nebraska
Jason Marcum
It’s crazy to think a recruit from the Bluegrass could pick a 2-6 school pretty far from Kentucky in the middle of a season in which UK is in the hunt for an SEC East crown and dare I say College Football Playoff trip?
But the reality is Scott Frost has always had teams with high-scoring offenses that will easily make Robinson a household name in no time. Kentucky, on the other hand, has struggled to do the same with anyone not named Benny Snell in the Mark Stoops era, though they are finally starting to feature Lynn Bowden more, but have they done so too late?
Stoops’ teams love to play ground-and-pound football on both sides of the ball, and while you can win big there, it’s less attractive to offensive recruits.
You’d think Robinson would like that as a potential running back, but the belief is he wants to be a weapon as a pass-catcher and on the ground. And frankly, he’s probably going to have to be a full-time receiver if he ever wants to play in the NFL at 5-9 and 179 pounds.
Stoops has built something special at Kentucky, but it appears Robinson wants a school where his talents will be utilized more. And while Frost is off to a slow start, I think he gets it turned around and makes Nebraska relevant again, and it’s probably safe to think Robinson believes this as well.
Prediction: Nebraska
Jamie Boggs
Wandale Robinson is an extraordinary talent. He could come in and contribute almost immediately next season on special teams and in a backup running back/receiver role. Robinson has the talent to be a college superstar.
As much success as Vince Marrow has had with in-state guys as of late, I think Robinson goes elsewhere. There is a little too much talk out there about him ending up at Nebraska to ignore. Unless something changes behind the scenes, I think Wandale will be a Cornhusker.
Prediction: Nebraska