Who could be the UK Football defensive breakout player of the year?

Well, it’s finally arrived. Kentucky football season is waiting at the doorstep.  On Saturday the Wildcats will charge out onto Kroger Field in the season opener against Louisiana Monroe on a quest to prove that they really are a contender in the SEC Eastern Division.

One player that may have a lot to say about whether Kentucky is successful in that quest this season is hybrid safety/defensive back/linebacker Davonte Robinson.

I said in a previous article that I like to pick a Kentucky offensive and defensive player that I believe will be a breakout player in the upcoming season. You can catch the previous article about my breakout offensive player Kavosiey Smoke here https://demo-sports.itmwpb.com/2021/08/31/who-will-be-the-offensive-breakout-player-for-uk-football-this-year/vaughts-views/kpeel/

As far as the defense goes, I think Lexington Henry Clay product Davonte Robinson will be the guy to keep an eye on this season. He’s a player that has tremendous talent, a lot of experience as a sixth-year senior, and can just flat out make great football plays.

UK defensive coordinator Brad White feels the same way. White said this recently about Robinson, “I’m seeing a guy that — he’s ready to prove himself. He knows that last year wasn’t representative of what he’s been in the past and he’s come back with a purpose. We’ve talked about his body is in much better shape right now. He understands that he’s a huge part and a huge factor for this team. I’m going to put a lot on him out there on the field and we need him to come through big time because — we’ve talked about it — it’s not one of our deeper areas.”

Robinson echoed those same sentiments. He said last season, after coming back from a season-ending injury in 2019, he was excited for 2020 spring practice to start but then COVID hit. Guys were separated and they had to take a long time away from football, so all he did was eat. That led him to head into last season with extra weight and in less than great physical shape. His stats from last year bear that out. He had only 27 tackles in 2020 while playing in 11 games.

This season Robinson says he is in much better physical shape. He’s lost weight and he said he spent the summer getting his mind right. He was baptized and believes that he now has the mindset to go out and do what he is capable of, and I believe he will do exactly that.

White’s intention this season seems to be to slide the 6-2, 213-pound Robinson into the spot that was vacated by last year’s elite pass rusher Jamar  “Boogie”Watson when UK is in a 3-3-5 alignment. Robinson could be the man coming off the edge rushing the passer. He could also cover a receiver in the slot or settle in to stop the run game. His versatility and experience should make him a player that is key to the success of the Kentucky defense this season.

For Robinson it has been a long haul — six years of football with some critical ups and downs along the way — but he appears to be primed and ready to go for his last season.

He said recently, “I feel 100 percent better than last year. I still have a lot more to prove. I’m just excited to get back out there.”

And for UK fans, that should be music to their ears.