Hokies Wide Receiver Tayvion Robinson Named to Paul Hornung Award Watch List

Robinson was named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list, which honors college football's most versatile player

Virginia Tech wide receiver Tayvion Robinson burst onto the scene as a true freshman a year ago for the Hokies, as he quickly emerged at the slot receiver position and played at a high level from the jump to start his career.

Robinson was relied upon as a third receiver in several offensive sets last year, and showed his versatility as a receiver, as a runner, and on special teams as the season progressed. Out of the entire ACC, he was certainly one of the best freshmen in the conference.

Robinson recorded 31 catches for 404 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman. In the latter portion of the season, he also emerged as a weapon on jet sweeps - carrying the football 11 times for 132 yards, and on special teams as a punt returner - where he averaged 14.2 yards per return on 13 attempts.

While Robinson garnered plenty of playing time last season, it was clear that the coaching staff wanted to ease him in so that he was comfortable in his role as a starting slot receiver as a freshman. As the season went on, his usage went up in many different facets of the game, which is a testament to how comfortable Robinson was, and in turn, how confident the coaching staff was that he could handle whatever was thrown at him.

Robinson is a supreme versatile talent, and impacts the game in a number of ways. As such, it is no surprise that Robinson was named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list this week, which honors the most versatile player in college football.

The fact that Robinson landed on this list as a rising true sophomore shows how high his ceiling is for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech has high hopes to compete for an ACC Coastal crown and a chance to play for the ACC Championship this fall. In order for their hopes to be realized, Robinson will be a major part of the equation.

Look for him to have a big year.