Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 75 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER R ecruiting rankings can be an inter- esting data point, but they aren't the be-all, end-all. Some prospects can be over-ranked, while others can be under-ranked. Rivals has some prospects ranked much higher than the rest of the in- dustry, such as offensive tackle Gray- son McKeogh. He's listed by Rivals as a five-star prospect and the No. 7 overall player in the nation, while ESPN views him as a three-star and 247 Sports has McKeogh as the No. 147 overall player nationally. But Rivals can also view players less favorably, as in the case of Red Oak (Texas) High's Brayden Robinson. The Lone Star State product is the No. 108 wide receiver nationally, while 247 Sports and ESPN have him as a four- star player and the No. 55 and No. 52 wideout in America, re- spectively. What gives? Rivals views ranking success based on where a player goes in the N F L D ra f t . A f ive - s ta r prospect should be one of the best college football players; thus, he should be drafted in the first round. At 5-7, 156 pounds go- ing into his true freshman season, Robinson doesn't have the prototypical size of a top draft pick, but Notre Dame fans won't care if he produces for the Fighting Irish. And all Robinson has done to this point is produce at a high level. Playing in Texas 5A football, Robinson caught 227 passes for 3,328 yards and 40 touchdowns in four varsity seasons. He's a coach's son as well. Red Oak's head coach, Melvin Robinson, is Brayden's father. "He's a very dependable young man with good grades and great character," the elder Robinson told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated prior to the start of his son's senior year. "He brings excitement, leadership and toughness to the football field on Friday nights. "Brayden has been a captain since he was a sophomore, and he'll be a captain again this year. He started for me as a true freshman, and he's a gutsy young man. His character is incredible, and he's a well-rounded athlete. He can do it all." The Baltimore Ravens selected 5-9 wide receiver Zay Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Melvin Robinson says that his son's play style is similar to Flowers'. "Brayden is that type of guy in my opinion — he can play inside or out- side," he said. "You can line him in the backfield and motion him out. He's even played some defense for me as well. For the next level, he will be a great inside receiver." ✦ Brayden Robinson Provides The Irish Production And Versatility Robinson, who is considered a three-star prospect Rivals, but was highly productive in high school with 227 receptions for 3,328 yards and 40 touchdowns in four varsity seasons. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 RIVALS BRAYDEN ROBINSON WIDE RECEIVER 5-7 · 156 RED OAK H.S. RED OAK, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪ 407 61 55 ✪✪✪ — 108 93 ✪✪✪✪ — 55 52 ✪✪✪✪ — 52 46 STATISTICS • Caught 72 passes for 1,000 yards and 5 touch- downs plus had one punt return score as a senior in 2025. • Had his best statistical season as a junior in 2024, hauling in 79 passes for 1,119 yards and 15 scores. • Broke the following Red Oak career records: re- ceptions (227), receiving yards (3,328), all-purpose yards (4,358) and touchdowns (40). NOTABLE • Earned first-team all-district accolades in 2022, 2023 and 2024. • Was first-team All-Ellis County in 2022, 2023 and 2024. • Tabbed as the District Newcomer of the Year in 2022. • Finished fifth in the 100 meters with a 10.4-sec- ond time at the 2022 track and field state cham- pionships. • Reported a 4.35-second 40-yard dash time. • Was on the Red Oak honor roll each year of high school. • Is the son of Red Oak head football coach Melvin Robinson RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 6, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Picked the Irish over Arizona, Miami and Ohio State. • Recruited by wide receivers coach Mike Brown. • Visited Notre Dame five times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Robinson is likely to redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Brayden Robinson is a shifty, smaller slot receiver who can really run. He came on the scene as a freshman, putting up impressive track times. He has a good bit of juice with the ball in his hands and was a high-volume target for his high school team and put up really good numbers. The uptick in production from sophomore to junior season was encouraging. "Robinson gives Notre Dame speed out of the slot and can make an impact in the return game. You can even hand the ball off to him. Notre Dame adding Robinson and Bubba Frazier in the same class gives them speed and play-making ability out of the slot, which will allow them to go in more spread formations when they want to."