Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
6 2 M A Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A fter weeks of consternation over its slow start to the 2027 recruiting cy- cle, Penn State finally got on the board March 28, landing a commitment from four-star cornerback Semajay Robinson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Robinson committed after his first and only unofficial visit to the school. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back had picked up an offer from the Nittany Lions just two months earlier, on Jan. 27. In the weeks that followed, he spoke highly of position coach Terry Smith and teased that he was seriously considering a commitment. Robinson cited Smith again when he announced his decision. "It's really all about Coach Terry," Robinson said. "The way he's been able to coach and develop guys like [cur- rent Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback] Joey Porter Jr., those are guys I model my game after. He's got a strong legacy there and has developed a lot of guys. "But also, we talk every other day. If I were to hit Coach Terry up, he's calling me back in no more than three minutes. That's a big part of it. It doesn't matter if he's with his family, out at practice or in a meeting, he's getting back to me in three minutes. He's just a great person. He cares about you off the field." Smith and PSU recruiting assistant Alan Zemaitis were in frequent contact with Robinson in the weeks leading up to his commitment, but he also spoke with Matt Campbell on a few occasions. Robinson said he's looking forward to building a stronger connection with the Nittany Lions' new head coach. "Coach Campbell has a great per- sonality," he said. "I really like what he stands for, and I'm excited to keep building a stronger bond with him." Robinson attended Palm Beach Cen- tral last season and was credited with 17 tackles (14 solo) and a pass breakup in 11 games. He has since transferred to Dil- lard High in Fort Lauderdale. Robinson had only two offers before his junior season but is now up to more than 20. He had planned to take official visits to Mississippi State and Virginia but ended up canceling those trips after committing to Penn State. The Bulldogs and Cavaliers, along with Boston Col- lege, Florida State, Kentucky, Missouri and Pitt, were all pushing to get him on campus this spring. His decision not to visit Florida State is particularly notable considering that he grew up rooting for the Seminoles. Robinson was named to the Rivals300 back in February. Rivals lists him as the No. 254 prospect nationally, as well as the No. 34 cornerback and No. 26 player in Florida. Charles Power, Rivals' director of scouting and rankings, describes him as a player who "looks to have good size, lines up primarily as an outside corner and looks comfortable in man coverage." Ro b i n so n i s l i s te d s u bs ta n t i a l ly lower in the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the grades from the three major recruiting websites. He checks in at No. 526 overall, No. 58 among cornerbacks and No. 46 in Flor- ida in the Industry Ranking. ■ Florida Cornerback Becomes First To Join 2027 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Robinson's recruitment took off following his junior season at Palm Beach Central High. He chose the Nittany Lions in March after mulling offers from Mississippi State and Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS COMMITMENT PROFILE SEMAJAY ROBINSON Penn State won't use boundary and field cornerbacks in its new defense, but the distinc- tion is useful as a way of explaining what kind of cornerback Semajay Robinson could be at the college level. He's a boundary corner, reminiscent of current PSU sophomore Daryus Dixson and program alums like Amani Oruwariye and Joey Porter Jr. He'll use size, instincts and ball skills to win instead of raw speed and athletic gifts. Robinson has some positional versatility, but we expect him to play cornerback at Penn State. That said, if the Nittany Lions were to nab a succession of elite cornerbacks and stack the room with five-star types, Robinson does have the potential to be a quality field safety. He would need to improve his aggressiveness and run defense, but his center field skills, size and range make that an option. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N