Why Zion Robinson is a pivotal recruiting pickup for Michigan, Bryce Underwood
Michigan's strategy in recruiting is to surround quarterback Bryce Underwood with big wide receivers who can run. The Wolverines took another step in that direction Wednesday by landing a commitment from Zion Robinson, a four-star prospect from Mansfield, Texas, and the son of Khadevis Robinson, a U.S. Olympian in the 800 meters.
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Robinson, the No. 132 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, picked Michigan over Stanford, Miami and Nebraska. His father, now the director of track and field at TCU, was a four-time U.S. outdoor champion in the 800 and made the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2012. Zion Robinson, who specialized in sprints and high jump as a track athlete, has the long-range speed to pull away from defenders and the size to bring down jump balls at 6 feet 3 and 180 pounds.
Robinson won a state high jump championship as a sophomore before opting to focus on football and basketball as a junior. He's still learning the nuances of playing wide receiver, but his size and speed attracted the attention of college recruiters coming out of his sophomore season at Mansfield.
'He was pretty raw, like most freshmen are when they come in,' said Mansfield coach Gregory George. 'We didn't see him as a freshman on the football field, but he's one that has developed into a pretty good receiver. He has a lot of good tools: good hands, can go catch a ball, fast, runs good routes. He has a lot of God-given ability in terms of being an athlete. We're looking forward to him being able to use that as a profession.'
Coach Sherrone Moore has emphasized recruiting tall wide receivers with basketball backgrounds who can box out defenders and make contested catches, even when the throw isn't perfect. Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley is expected to fill that role for the Wolverines this season, and Michigan added size in its 2025 class with Jamar Browder at 6-5 and Jacob Washington at 6-3.
Michigan has its eyes on two other big wide receivers for 2026 in 6-5 Calvin Russell, a top-50 prospect from Miami, and 6-3 Travis Johnson, a top-150 prospect from Chesapeake, Va. Johnson is expected to announce a decision July 4, and Russell has an announcement scheduled for the following day. The Wolverines also have a commitment from Jaylen Pile, a three-star wide receiver from Dallas.
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