Cornerback Jordan Robinson is an intriguing player

Jordan Robinson played only four games at defensive back in high school, went to a Division II in 2021 but now is at UK.

One of the more intriguing players on the Kentucky football team this year will be sophomore defensive back Jordan Robinson, a transfer from Division II Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C.

Robinson had 26 tackles, made two interceptions and deflected six passes on a team that went only 1-8. The 6-4 cornerback felt he could play at a higher level and others agreed. He originally committed to Appalachian State after putting his name in the transfer portal before changing his mind and picking UK over  Oregon State, Samford, Eastern Kentucky, Tarleton State, Campbell and Valdosta State.

Matt Quinn, his coach at Westwood High School in Blythewood, S.C., was not surprised Robinson made a move to the Southeastern Conference and expects him to have a successful career.

“He was the type of kid who worked for everything. He always pushed himself and never made excuses,” Quinn said.

Robinson played receiver his junior year in high school and “was  kind of lost in the mix with a lot of good receivers” when he was injured midway through the season. He asked Quinn if he could move to defensive back for his senior season.

“With his size I was thinking a 6-4 DB would be a good weapon for us,” Quinn said. “He trained his butt off to learn the new position. He killed it in the weight room. COVID hit and he was training on his own and when we finally got cleared to practice in August I had not seen him in two months and he looked great. He was our No. 1 DB and just locked down receivers even though he was always on the other team’s No. 1 guy.”

The problem was Westwood only got to play four games that season due to a variety of COVID-related reasons. That kept Division I coaches from seeing him play.

“D2 schools loved him and saw his potential. I thought he was a D1 player with his size and speed,” Quinn said. “But now he’s in the SEC and I think will be a top tier player and kid for Kentucky.”

“He just explodes when the ball is in the air. He killed it at Livingstone. He was head and shoulders above the competition he was playing. He made plays and showed coaches what he could do.”

Robinson conferred with Quinn about the transfer portal and Quinn told him to approach it like he was “betting on himself” with the worst case scenario being he would stay a Division II player.

So what type of cornerback is Kentucky getting?

“Obviously there will be an adjustment period because the speed of the game is 100 times faster in the SEC,” Quinn said. “But Jordan studies film and the way he works it will be a small curve for him to get adjusted. He will catch right on.”

“He is a very physical corner. He loves getting up in your face on man-to-man coverage. In zone coverage, he’s a ballhawk from his receiving days. I really expect him to be a full-time player. I honestly think you could eventually heard his name called in the NFL draft.

“He is one of my favorite players that I have ever coached. He’s a great all-around student. And when his name is called on draft night, it will be like a fairy tale going from playing four games his senior year of high school to D2 to the SEC to the NFL. You can’t make that script up.”

Former Kentucky all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles says some players are “late bloomers” and blossom after a position change like Robinson has.

“There was not a lot of film on him and big schools didn’t offer in high school,” Hiles said. “He has good length and has really good hips. He has got really good speed for a guy 6-3 or 6-4, too. What film I saw, I could see a lot of promise and he has three years to develop. I like him.”