COMMITMENT: In-state three-star Kamren Robinson chooses Virginia football

When Tony Elliott said he was going to have the Virginia Cavaliers focus more heavily on in-state recruiting, he wasn't kidding. The ‘Hoos reeled in their fifth Virginia prospect on Friday afternoon with a pledge from three-star linebacker Kamren Robinson.

Both Rivals and 247 rate Robinson as a high three-star (5.7 Rivals Rating and an 88.26 in the 247 Composite) and as a top-10 overall in the Commonwealth for 2023. A 6’2, 215-pound standout at Essex in Tappahannock on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, he boasts offers from Florida State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Pitt, and South Carolina, among others.

Robinson’s film shows a sure and strong tackler who reads plays and closes quickly. He is disruptive off the edge as well, using speed to get blockers out of position then strength to exploit their poor sets. His frame is similar to Nick Jackson’s coming out of high school, and I would expect he either needs to grow another inch or two to play effectively as an outside backer or add 15-20 pounds to thrive in the middle.

Robinson’s ball skills as an offensive player hint at a player who could give UVA’s defensive coordinator John Rudzinski a versatile piece to play in the passing game, at least in zone —I’m not sure Robinson displays the speed or agility to cover Power Five tight ends man-to-man.

Adding Robinson means that UVA now has commitments from two of the top-20 Virginia prospects in 2023, and three of the top 25 (as ranked by 247 Composite). Virginia Tech also has three top-25 commitments, but none in the Commonwealth’s top ten. Penn State has three in the top-15—including #1 overall Alex Birchmeier—while UNC-Chapel Hill has landed two of the top-10.