Penn State Sports Magazine
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5 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I t had seemed for months, maybe even years, that Ta'Mere Robinson was a sure bet to end up in Penn State's 2023 re- cruiting class. The Pittsburgh linebacker, a four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus, had long been considered one of the staff's most important recruits, having earned an of- fer from the Nittany Lions in April 2020. Dating back to his freshman year of high school, Robinson took eight visits to Penn State, more than twice as many as he took to any other school. And yet, the battle for his verbal com- mitment was much closer than most ob- servers realized. While Robinson did end up committing to the Lions on July 15, less than a month after taking his official visit, he explained afterward that PSU was trailing Miami prior to his most recent trip to State College. "It was neck-and-neck at one point," Robinson said. "Going into my Penn State visit, I had my mind made up that I was going to Miami. But then I started to do some more thinking and I came on my of- ficial visit to Penn State. After that visit, I just decided that it was better to stay close to home." Robinson took two trips to Miami, the first of which was an unofficial visit in April. He followed that up with an official visit June 2-4. Brent Pry, Penn State's former defen- sive coordinator and now head coach at Virginia Tech, also gave Robinson some- thing to think about, hosting the Brashear High standout in May, followed by an of- ficial visit June 10-12. In the end, though, the official visit to PSU and the relation- ships he developed sealed the deal. "Through this whole process, I was looking for that family environment," Robinson said. "I wanted to be comfort- able with the commits, the players, the coaches. I wanted to hang around the guys who were already there. When I went up to Penn State for my official visit, it was just a great time up there. That was the only visit I took where all the recruits and all the player hosts just hung around each other the whole time." Getting to know defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who joined Penn State's staff in December, was also important. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Robinson admitted in April that he likely would have com- mitted to PSU sooner had Pry not left. The official visit gave Robinson a better idea of how he fits into Penn State's plans. "I feel comfortable with him as my coach, and I know he's there for his guys," Robinson said. "But also, just seeing some of their film from spring camp and how he plans to use me, I had a much better feel for how I would fit in his defense there." Robinson is ranked as the No. 123 over- all prospect in the country in the On3 Consensus. He's the 11th-ranked line- backer nationally and No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania. ■ Pittsburgh Prospect Is Staying Close To Home RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILE TA'MERE ROBINSON Robinson became the second four-star linebacker to join PSU's class, announcing for the Lions in July, one day after Tony Rojas. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Penn State landed its seventh consecutive four-star commitment when Ta'Mere Robinson announced for the Nittany Lions on July 15. Here's a look at what he'll be bringing to Linebacker U: STRENGTHS Positional instincts: Robinson played safety as a sophomore at Brashear but was moved to an off-ball linebacker spot last season. That's when everything clicked. He closed quickly on ball carriers, cleaned up broken runs from the backside and picked through trash to find the football. Coverage/movement skills: As a safety, Robinson looked like a condor covering receivers. His length and closing burst were huge assets. Now, stationed at linebacker, he has a perfect combination of size, move- ment skills and coverage ability for Penn State. Frame: Aside from being slightly high-cut, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Robinson might be a perfect line- backer prospect from a physical standpoint. He's thick, powerful, and has the room to add as much weight as the staff would like. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Raw fundamentals: Robinson only started playing the linebacker position midway through his junior season. Shortly after moving there, he suffered a torn ACL. He's been rehabbing since then, and we still need to see what he's learned about playing the position. Over-pursuit: At times, Robinson struggles to get clean hits on ball carriers. Sometimes, he overruns a tailback or blows by a quarterback on a blitz. He needs to rein in his speed in pursuit. Pad level: One of the best ways to mitigate over-pursuit issues is to play in an athletic stance. Lowering your profile helps you turn, thanks to a lower center of gravity. Robinson's block disengagement as a line- backer will also improve once he plays at the height of his competition. PROJECTION Mike linebacker: The more we learn about Manny Diaz's preferences, the more it seems he likes his biggest, strongest linebackers playing in the middle. Robinson's powerful frame is the perfect size to handle that position. Will linebacker: The Will position would also be a good fit. Penn State has traditionally put its biggest, fastest, freakiest playmakers at this position and let them chase the football down. Robinson is a quality candidate to play on the weak side. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N