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22 CAVALIER CORNER BY SCOTT FITZGERALD O ne of the most highly anticipated days of the college football calen- dar is signing day. Historically, the first week of February was a time that prospective student-athletes, coaches and fans were on the edges of their respec- tive seats with hopes and dreams in the balance. With the addition of a December signing day in recent years, it marks mul- tiple days for the recruiting world to lock in on college football without the need for the actual pigskin. For the signees, the ceremonial signing of national letters of intent and the don- ning of the hat of one's school of choice is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication along with a new, life-altering opportunity to attend a four-year institution on a football scholarship. For the coaches, signing day can be among the most nerve- wracking days of the year, often with a program's future hanging in the balance and all reliant on the decisions of 17- to 18-year-olds. By the middle of the afternoon on Dec. 21, 2022, Virginia had inked a total of 22 players, 18 high school seniors and four transfers. It was the first true signing class of Fralin Family Head Football Coach Tony Elliott's tenure after taking over a little over a calendar year prior. Normally on signing day, by mid-to-late afternoon coaches and compliance officers are wrapping up their days that started around 7 a.m. when signed documents first started pinging their emails. For Elliott and his staff, there was still one more electronic document that was ex- pected to come through late in the evening. Meanwhile back on the east side of the Commonwealth, Kam Robinson went about his day with plans of announcing his college commitment at 6 p.m. at Essex High School. Robinson had been verbally committed to Virginia since July, but in the weeks prior to signing day he was being wooed on of- ficial visits to Florida State, South Carolina and Tennessee, causing some trepidation amongst the UVA faithful. Growing up in the small town of Tap- pahannock, which has a population of a little over 2,000, Robinson might not have received the publicity warranted for a high school athlete of his caliber. Essex High School, with a student body just north of 500 students, plays Class 1 football and doesn't produce the Division I products at the rate of its big school counterparts. But Robinson proved to be different and had built a reputation as one of the top de- fensive players in the 2022 class. He helped Essex to a 13-1 overall record as a senior and was named the 2022 Northern Neck Region Defensive Player of the Year. He played on both sides of the ball as a linebacker and wide receiver, earning all- state honors at both positions. He was a three-sport athlete as a high schooler, play- ing basketball and baseball as well. Search Robinson's basketball highlights and you'll see his innate ability to play above the rim while averaging more than 17 points per game. The athleticism helped him garner a rating as the No. 9 player in Virginia and the No. 47 linebacker in the country in the On3 Industry Ranking for the class of 2023. When it came down to it at his ceremony, there was little doubt in Robinson's mind and even among the Virginia coaching staff, but nothing is official until the names are signed on the dotted line. Robinson an- nounced his commitment to UVA in front of family and friends, sporting his blue and white Virginia hat and his signature light-up- the-room smile. "I believed in Coach E [Elliott]," Robinson said. "I believed in what he was building." Elliott and his staff were elated. The 23rd player to commit to UVA that day was de- scribed as a cornerstone of the class in a statement from Elliott that night. "I really can't put it into words, I'm so ex- cited about Kam Robinson," Elliott went on to say on Robinson's signing day. "I believe BIG IMPACT Second-Year Linebacker Kam Robinson Is Already A Team Leader Robinson, who head coach Tony Elliott called a cornerstone of his 2023 recruiting class, has a big personality that is on full display when he wears his big "KRob" chain with his pregame suit. (Photo courtesy UVA)