As you've likely read in multiple stories here by now, Virginia BEach Cox 2019 wide receiver Tayvion Robinson may have made his commitment to Virginia Tech public yesterday, but he did not make that decision yesterday. Indeed, he's been committed for quite some time.
This one has been a long time coming, in fact. Remember shortly after Jesse Hanson's pledge in February, when I said another commitment should be coming soon? (And then after Mike Sainristil's commitment when I said, "nope, somebody else")? It was Robinson. He had made his pledge to Virginia Tech around the same time as Hanson, and had tentatively planned to reveal it publicly just a couple days later.
It took more than four months, but here we are, with the four-star Rivals250 member on the commitment list. Certainly the more cynical fan may say, "if he'd gone public with his commitment earlier, it might have helped VT in other recruitments." And I see the logic in that line of thinking, in all honesty. However, I wouldn't worry too much about whether the delay harmed the Hokies: indeed, he's been working hard behind the scenes to bring other players with him to Blacksburg.
This is a kid who grew up a Hokie fan and has been a diehard for a while, and while he hasn't been able to sway, say, Devyn Ford or Brandon Smith, his pull in the Tidewater area could be a major positive for VT. He's got the right emotional investment in the Hokies, the right popularity among fellow top players, and the right personality to give encouragement (but not be overbearing) toward VT to his friends. Other recent VT commits from the area haven't necessarily had that total package. That his commitment comes right at the beginning of a Dead Period - no in-person contact on- or off-campus for the coaches - can help sort of bridge a gap and keep VT on those players' minds for the next month, too.
Robinson's commitment doesn't mean VT will suddenly get every player the staff wants out of the 757, but there's no question it's a great step toward getting back to the way things should be. A slight uptick would mean landing an elite player or two (simply because of the volume of elite talent there), and if Robinson can be even more effective than that, VT could really, really benefit.
This one has been a long time coming, in fact. Remember shortly after Jesse Hanson's pledge in February, when I said another commitment should be coming soon? (And then after Mike Sainristil's commitment when I said, "nope, somebody else")? It was Robinson. He had made his pledge to Virginia Tech around the same time as Hanson, and had tentatively planned to reveal it publicly just a couple days later.
It took more than four months, but here we are, with the four-star Rivals250 member on the commitment list. Certainly the more cynical fan may say, "if he'd gone public with his commitment earlier, it might have helped VT in other recruitments." And I see the logic in that line of thinking, in all honesty. However, I wouldn't worry too much about whether the delay harmed the Hokies: indeed, he's been working hard behind the scenes to bring other players with him to Blacksburg.
This is a kid who grew up a Hokie fan and has been a diehard for a while, and while he hasn't been able to sway, say, Devyn Ford or Brandon Smith, his pull in the Tidewater area could be a major positive for VT. He's got the right emotional investment in the Hokies, the right popularity among fellow top players, and the right personality to give encouragement (but not be overbearing) toward VT to his friends. Other recent VT commits from the area haven't necessarily had that total package. That his commitment comes right at the beginning of a Dead Period - no in-person contact on- or off-campus for the coaches - can help sort of bridge a gap and keep VT on those players' minds for the next month, too.
Robinson's commitment doesn't mean VT will suddenly get every player the staff wants out of the 757, but there's no question it's a great step toward getting back to the way things should be. A slight uptick would mean landing an elite player or two (simply because of the volume of elite talent there), and if Robinson can be even more effective than that, VT could really, really benefit.
