Is Chop Robinson Penn State's Next Great Pass Rusher?
Chop Robinson arrived at Penn State with plenty of high expectations. And according to the Penn State coaching staff, he's ready to fulfill them.
Robinson, a former 4-star recruit who played at Maryland last season, seeks to become the pass rusher Penn State needs this season. Since arriving in June, the sophomore has acclimated well and looks to become an early contributor, perhaps even as Arnold Ebiketie did last year after transferring from Temple.
"Obviously he's got a chance to come in and make an impact," Penn State coach James Franklin said. "He's come in and tested extremely well, very athletic, and is a guy who's all about ball, which I love. I think he's got a chance to be a high-production, low-maintenance guy, which is what we want."
Franklin initially recruited Robinson out of Quince Orchard High in Gaithersburg, Md. Robinson (6-3, 242 pounds) ultimately chose Maryland, where he played 13 games (starting one) as a freshman. Robinson made three tackles and a sack in Maryland's 54-10 win over Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl.
He was the No. 3 player from Maryland in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and the No. 4 edge rusher nationally. At Penn State, he'll return to that position after playing linebacker for Maryland.
"Obviously he was a very, very talented guy out of high school," Franklin said. "We looked at him as either a linebacker or defensive end. ... We're going to play him as a defensive end. We're excited about having him here at a position of need."
John Scott Jr., Penn State's defensive line coach, said Robinson reminds him of the standout edge rushers the program has sent to the NFL recently. That lists includes first-round pick Odafe Oweh in 2021 and second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie this year.
"One thing we immediately gain is, he gives us another one of those edge rushers that we’ve had here that has elite qualities that you can’t coach," Scott said. "Having great feet, having twitch, having athleticism and having the length he has. ... We've had success with great edge rushers and, to me, he's in that category.
"With defenses today, you’ve got to have great corners and you’ve got to have great pass rushers. I feel like he has the ability to be the type of pass rusher we’ve had here the last few years. I think he can be in that category."
Franklin also appreciated that he had a prior relationship with Robinson, an asset particularly when bringing in transfer players.
"Obviously it's great having him here," Franklin said. "He tested really well [recently], which was great. Then on top of that, the fact that we recruited him out of high school, more times than not if we're going to do the transfer portal stuff, that's what I would prefer.
"It's not always going to work out like that. But in a short window, it's hard to get to know the guys the way we would like to get to know them before we bring them in our locker room or on campus. That helped. It came down to us and his previous institution, so we knew him pretty well. So far, so good."
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