Wan’Dale Robinson, in front of a packed gymnasium at Western Hills High School, committed to the University of Kentucky in November 2018. A commitment video produced by the Herald-Leader was distributed simultaneously to thousands of fans eagerly awaiting his decision.
A month later, Robinson changed his mind and signed with Nebraska, a program projected to rise with the offensive-minded Scott Frost at the helm. His two seasons in Lincoln were productive — he led Nebraska in several receiving categories as a sophomore last year and was responsible for seven touchdowns and nearly 1,500 yards of total offense in just 18 games played — but family circumstances prompted his decision to transfer following a 3-5 campaign with the Cornhuskers in 2020.
Re-enter the Wildcats. Robinson wanted to move closer to home, and Kentucky won out over a couple of other rumored suitors (Ohio State and Purdue) for the former four-star prospect and top-50 recruit.
Were feelings hurt during UK’s first pursuit of Robinson? You bet. Head coach Mark Stoops in a recent interview with the Herald-Leader said it “was definitely a difficult situation for everybody involved.”
“We were very close,” Stoops said. “And he was obviously very important to our program, and to the state. And that does get personal at times. It gets hard. But you know, you also bury that. In all families you have differences. I don’t want to get into great detail, but the bottom line is Wan’Dale knew how we felt about him. He trusted that myself and our staff and this community would welcome him back.”
Robinson has tweeted twice since leaving Nebraska: once on Jan. 15 to announce his transfer to Kentucky and again on Feb. 8 as part of a team-wide social-media campaign to hype the fan base ahead of the 2021 season. More than 10,000 Twitter users “liked” the January post, and the conversation surrounding his return to the Bluegrass State has been universally positive. Welcome back, indeed.
Kentucky this offseason has been one of college football’s best examples of why keeping bridges intact with recruits who don’t ultimately choose your school during their initial recruitment is important. Justice Dingle signed with Georgia Tech over Kentucky in 2018 but UK was able to bring him (and his brother Jordan, a well-regarded tight end in the 2021 class) aboard in December. Luke Fulton, whom the Wildcats recruited before he picked Michigan State, is also now enrolled at UK.
All three players provide immediate depth at positions of need for Kentucky, and in the case of Robinson, a jolt of offensive star power that eluded the program last season after the likes of Benny Snell and Lynn Bowden troubled opposing defensive coordinators. And if Stoops and his assistants had done anything beyond wishing them good luck at their original preferred destination, there’d still be holes left on the roster.
With proposed NCAA legislation in the pipeline that would allow all first-time football transfers to be immediately eligible at their next school, remaining on good terms with every player you recruit will be even more crucial for college staffs moving forward. And even if a player remains happy with their situation, there are advantages to both parties by staying friendly with one another; football is a small fraternity.
“I don’t want to name names on these guys, but there’s guys that did not come here, that went to a high-profile school, they’re playing in the NFL, and that I keep in touch with and helped me get my son, one of his favorite players in the NFL, a signed jersey for Christmas,” Stoops said. “He played at a different school, but he and I are close, you know what I mean? And I didn’t feel awkward asking a favor, because he knows I’m here for him if he needed a favor. I’ve always prided myself on keeping those relationships.”
As for Robinson, Stoops’ message to him is unchanged from when he first started recruiting him.
“The same thing I told him years ago, I’ll tell him now,” Stoops said. “He’s very important to our program. I work every day, extremely hard to help him. I know he’ll help help us win football games. I know he’ll be a great player. Whether it’s him or any of our players, you take it seriously to sit here. I’m sitting at my desk right now, I’m sitting in my office, and every day I’m here, it’s important for me to help them.
“Whether that’s putting quality people around them, whether it’s putting a great nutritionist in front of them that’s passionate about helping them, whether it’s strength and conditioning, whether it’s academic people, whatever it is, I work hard for them and I want to help them achieve their goals. And I think Wan’Dale knows that.”