What to Expect From Jimmori Robinson When He Makes His Debut for West Virginia

The Mountaineer pass rusher will make a major impact for Zac Alley's defense.

WVU Athletics Communications

The expectation is that UTSA linebacker transfer Jimmori Robinson will make his West Virginia debut this afternoon against the Pitt Panthers. He received word from the NCAA earlier in the week that he was allowed to play and has been practicing.

Assuming Robinson does suit up and take the field today, what is the expectation for his debut?

No. 1: A pitch count

Much like the other three who were involved in the lawsuit, he'll only see a limited number of snaps, just like they did against Robert Morris. It's one thing to get a few practices under your belt, but it's a whole other level of conditioning to be in game shape. He's not going to log 30-40 snaps or anywhere near it. My guess would be somewhere between eight to twelve, at most.

No. 2: Strategic usage

Keeping the pitch count in mind, defensive coordinator Zac Alley is going to have to be extremely careful when it comes to knowing when to sub him into the game. The fear is that if Pitt were to move the sticks and get into its tempo, they aren't going to allow WVU to sub. Can Jimmori handle playing potentially six, seven, or eight straight snaps? That's a really tough ask for a guy trying to get his legs under him.

No. 3: Impactful pressures

If you're expecting Robinson to just step right in and change the game immediately, dominating Pitt's left tackle, you're probably going to end up disappointed. It's hard to be dominant in a limited package of plays, but it's also hard to be when he hasn't played much football this year — just a few days' worth in this system. He'll show why WVU and others wanted him so badly over time, but if he can at least make his presence felt and force Eli Holstein to either make a bad decision or absorb a hit, that works just as well.

West Virginia and Pitt will kick things off at Milan Puskar Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. It will be the final time these two meet until 2029.

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