Florida State’s decision to bring back Duce Robinson looked like a smart move when the preseason buzz was building. It looks a lot different now.
Robinson came into this season after putting up 1,000 yards last year and finishing as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, all while using his 6-foot-6 frame to bully smaller defenders and win contested throws. That kind of profile usually gets NFL teams paying close attention, and Robinson was projected as a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He also led all returning ACC receivers with 18 contested catches last season.
Instead of heading for the draft, he returned to Florida State for another year. With hindsight being 20/20, the source of the frustration is obvious: he likely should have gone pro.
Robinson entered the season carrying a pile of preseason recognition, including All-ACC, the Maxwell Award watch list, the Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list and 2nd Team Associate Press (AP) All-American honors. But the production hasn’t matched the hype. Through six games, he has 17 catches for 294 yards and two touchdowns, a clear drop from where he stood at this point last season, when he had 25 receptions for 443 yards and two scores.
That dip has made him more of a bystander than a centerpiece in the Seminoles’ offense.
Whether it’s a matter of how Mike Norvell has called the offense or how quarterback Ashton Daniels has executed it, Robinson hasn’t been getting the volume you’d expect from Florida State’s best receiver. Norvell addressed that Monday in his game-week press conference.
“We need Duce Robinson to be a major impact for this team and I feel like he is and he will continue to be that for the rest of the season,” said Norvell. But, yeah, we do we want more production with opportunities.
“It’s being able to get him more opportunities as well as making sure that we're capitalizing on all things as it plays out throughout the course of the game. But, he's an incredible player “ Norvell said. “I think he's absolutely grown in all facets of being a receiver and I'm excited for what this back half of the season will be for him because he's definitely a guy that we count on in a very high capacity.”
Those words, though, haven’t been backed up on the field. Florida State has struggled to put together consistent football on either side of the ball, and Robinson’s role has shrunk at the same time the Seminoles have slipped to 3-3.
Now comes a brutal test. Florida State heads to Miami to face the Hurricanes, who are 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country. Miami brings the top-rated offense in college football and is averaging 554 yards of total offense through six games.
Against a defense and a secondary that can’t afford to overlook him, Robinson’s size remains the kind of matchup problem that jumps off the page. The question is whether Florida State finally uses it.
He has six games left in what is more than likely his last season in Tallahassee, and those final six weeks are his chance to turn the numbers around and help a team-and a coach-trying to steady themselves.
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Mensahs place in that mix matters because these early rankings are starting to separate the quarterbacks who are just flashing from the ones building something sturdier over time. With Julian Sayin, Drew Mestemaker, Trinidad Chambliss, Jayden Maiava and LaNorris Sellers also in the conversation, the board is crowded, and the next stretch of the season could keep reshuffling it. For Miami, Mensah staying in that discussion is the kind of development that can linger deep into the fall, especially with so much still to be decided. [Read more 🡒]