Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
M A R C H 2 0 2 3 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / M ason Robinson was always a per- fect fit for Penn State — an excel- lent player and an outstanding student who meets all the criteria that James Franklin looks to fill when he hits the re- cruiting trail. O n to p o f t h a t , t h e 6 - fo o t -3, 230-pound edge rusher attended the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., playing alongside current PSU sopho- more edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. Add in junior linebacker Curtis Jacobs and redshirt senior defensive tackle Dvon Ellies and there's no shortage of McDonogh alumni on Penn State's roster. Once Robinson earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in April 2021, just about everyone had him penciled in for Penn State's 2023 class. That is, every- one but Robinson. Despite all the visits to Penn State and all the connections, the On3 Consensus three-star prospect surprised everyone when he committed to Northwestern in May. Citing academics and his relationship with coach Pat Fitzgerald, Robinson held firm with that commitment for months, but he started to have second thoughts after watching the Wildcats go 1-11 last fall. After the season, Northwestern fired its defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. Within a few days, Robinson was on the phone with Penn State's staff to gauge their interest. The Lions needed a defen- sive end, and Robinson was coming off a massive senior season in which he to- taled 83 tackles, including 15 for loss and 9 sacks. They got him on campus as soon as possible, hosting Robinson and his family for an official visit Dec. 9-11. By the time he left campus, he was ready to join his former teammates in State College. "I've been coming up to Penn State since I was young," Robinson said. "I'll never forget coming up there for my first camp my eighth-grade year. Ever since then, Penn State has always been there. It's so close to home, too, and there's just nothing like it." Over the course of his recruitment, Robinson earned nearly two dozen scholarship offers. His top five in the spring included Pitt, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, in addition to the Nittany Lions and Wildcats. Several of those schools were hoping to get him on campus before he signed, but Robinson said a talk with Franklin during his official visit was a turning point. "He said, 'We produce guys from your high school, and even though they're from your school, they're all different. Dani is different from Curtis, Curtis is different from PJ [Mustipher], PJ is dif- ferent from Dvon,'" Robinson said. "He was just saying that, no matter what, they're all finding success in dif- ferent ways. That really stuck with me. I played with these guys. I played with Curtis and Dani, so I know what it takes to get where they're at." ■ During his sophomore and junior seasons, Robinson was teammates with current Nittany Lion defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Mason Robinson McDonogh School's alumni chapter at PSU continues to grow RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M DE | 6-3 | 225 McDonogh School Randallstown, Md. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHH 649 59 12 On3 HHH — 101 20 ESPN HHH — 85 12 Rivals HHH — 33 9 247Sports HHH — 73 12 Statistics • Totaled 83 tackles, 9 sacks and 15 tackles for loss as a senior • Finished with 81 tackles, 8 sacks and 16 tackles for loss as a junior Notable • Was a two-year team captain • Named to The Baltimore Sun's first-team All-Met squad as a senior • Helped McDonogh reach the Maryland Inter- scholastic Athletic Association championship game in 2021 Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Dec. 13, 2022 • Recruited by defensive line coach John Scott Jr. and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter • Picked Penn State after decommitting from Northwestern • Officially visited on Dec. 9, 2022 2023 Projection Penn State's defensive end room is one of the team's deepest. Robinson won't enroll until the summer, so don't be surprised if he plays in four games but is held back to redshirt if possible. They Said It McDonogh coach Hakeem Sule: "Mason is a selfless leader. He is not one to boast about stats, offers or personal achievements. At the end of the day, he just wants to win. Ultimately, that is what makes him special." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Robinson has the build of a speed rusher, so he should accentuate those skills. His ability to use great leverage, maximizing his length, can unlock the speed-to-power attributes that he shows on film. Best of all, he is a high-floor and low-bust addition to the defensive end room." T H E R O B I N S O N F I L E