Wan'Dale Robinson, left, was one of Kentucky's all-time leaders in total yards and scoring at Western Hills. (Larry Vaught Photo)
Wan’Dale Robinson was already leaning to transferring to Kentucky from Nebraska before Kentucky coach Mark Stoops named Liam Coen as his new offensive coordinator. Once Stoops did that, it all but sealed the deal for the former Western Hills standout who initially committed to UK in high school before flipping to Nebraska.
“I saw the hire, so that really caught my eye with (Coen) coming from the NFL and bringing that system. So just being able to be closer to home and do the things I want to do to get to the next level, it was just a perfect fit,” Robinson told Curtis Burch on the Behind Kentucky Football podcast with Curtis Burch.
Robinson was highly recruited after his brilliant career at Western Hills and his commitment to UK was a huge deal in the Bluegrass. However, so was flipping his commitment to Nebraska.
Yet recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow, never one to hold a grudge, and UK coaches reached out to Robinson quickly after he put his name into the transfer portal. He told Burch he worried there might still be hard feelings over his flipping to Nebraska and was relieved when it was clear there was no animosity.
“I sat down with my dad and people that are close to me and we just kinda talked at the end of the year. We just felt like it was better for me to kind of hit the portal and then with my mom too, she was dealing with COVID,” Robinson told Burch.
“I definitely knew that I wanted to get closer to home and it was just a perfect fit with me coming here with the new offense and things like that.”
Robinson had 51 catches for 461 yards in eight games in 2020 and was fourth on the team with 240 yards rushing. His 696 all-purpose yards led Nebraska. Robinson caught 40 passes for 443 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 340 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. That’s 91 catches for 904 yards in two seasons.
At UK, Robinson will be used at receiver, not running back. He told Burch he’s been spending time since learning the offense since arriving on campus in January.
“Finding any little tips or things he (Coen) might want me to do out on the field in this offense. Really just building the relationship, talking every single day and watching some kind of film,” Robinson said.
