Penn State has spent three games learning that Zay Robinson can tilt a game without ever lining up at wide receiver.
The redshirt freshman has become a problem for opponents on special teams, and he’s entering Big Ten play with the kind of numbers that demand attention. Robinson leads the nation with 13 punt returns, has piled up 172 return yards and is averaging 13.2 yards per return.
That production was on full display in Saturday’s 55-13 win over Buffalo, when Penn State’s special teams player of the game kept handing the offense better and better starting points. Robinson opened with a 38-yard punt return and finished with eight returns for 109 yards, including two that went more than 30 yards. Twice, he set the Nittany Lions up in Buffalo territory, and Penn State cashed those chances in for 10 points.
That’s the kind of impact that doesn’t always show up in the flashy column. A returner doesn’t have to score to matter.
“When you’re talking about winning field position, being great in special teams, having the ability to, you know, even just get a first down on a punt return, those things are awesome,” Penn State coach Matt Campbell said. “I think our kids really believe in special teams and the value of that.”
Campbell knew Robinson’s ceiling long before this season. The two were together at Iowa State last year, when Robinson’s four-game redshirt limitation forced the staff to hold him back late in the season.
Campbell believed he may already have been one of the Cyclones’ best receivers, but the redshirt situation limited what he could do. Instead, Campbell got a front-row seat to Robinson’s work on scout team.
“He was an absolute menace last year down there because of his competitive excellence,” Campbell said. “And you got to see how dynamic he is with the ball in his hand.”
Now that burst is showing up on Saturdays.
Robinson didn’t start returning kicks until high school, and he learned by studying Devin Hester, paying close attention to the Hall of Fame return man’s explosiveness. He also watches former Iowa State standout Jaylin Noel, another model for how to work at the position.
Still, Robinson’s edge isn’t just raw speed. He has to process a lot before the ball even reaches him.
“At first, I’m really just seeing how the ball’s kicked, seeing if it’s like a run job or it’s carrying, seeing how the ball is spinning,” Robinson said. “It’s a lot going into the returns, but then kind of just seeing the gunners and the jammers are the biggest for me because those are probably the fastest guys on the field.”
That blend of speed and recognition has shown up all season. Robinson returned three punts for 41 yards against Marshall, added two more for 22 yards at Temple and then broke loose against Buffalo. He has also handled three kickoffs for 58 yards, including a 34-yard return in the opener.
PFF has taken notice as well, giving him a 71.1 return grade and a 79.2 punt-return grade through three games.
His work hasn’t been limited to special teams, either. Robinson has five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Campbell pointed to what he’s done after the catch as a sign of his growth.
“We did challenge Zay to take the step forward if we were going to be the team that we wanted to be,” Campbell said. “And I think he’s answered the call so far.”
The next stretch will ask even more of him. Penn State’s nonconference slate gave Robinson room to establish himself, but Big Ten games tend to squeeze out the easy yards and make field position matter even more.
That could make Robinson even more important.
A punt return touchdown still hasn’t happened. Robinson thinks it will. But three games into the season, he’s already changed the equation.
“For me,” Robinson said, “just another day in the office.”
In Other News...
Penn State Staffer Faces Serious Off-Field Legal Trouble
A Penn State assistant coach is now dealing with an off-field situation that is drawing attention in State College and around the program. Jordan Lucas, the Nittany Lions assistant cornerbacks coach, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of DUI and three summary traffic violations after police found him asleep in a vehicle downtown with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
The stop came after officers found the vehicle illegally positioned in a crosswalk, with Lucas also listed as having a suspended drivers license and an expired vehicle registration. Penn State acknowledged the charges and said Lucas remains with the program while the legal matter moves forward, leaving the university to manage both the public fallout and the uncertainty around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Offensive Line Just Got Thinner At The Worst Time
Penn States offensive line depth took another hit at an unwelcome time, with Will Tompkins ruled out for the season because of injury, according to coach Matt Campbell. Tompkins had played 31 snaps across the first three games after transferring in from Iowa State, giving the Nittany Lions another experienced body in a position group that can never have enough of them.
The setback leaves Penn State without a player it had hoped could help stabilize things as the year unfolded, and it also delays any chance to see how he might have fit into the rotation over a full season. There is still some long-term silver lining: Tompkins is expected to keep four years of eligibility after this season, so his Penn State story is far from over even if this one now pauses before it really got going. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States RB Battle Just Got Tougher To Ignore Entering Big Ten Play
Penn State spent the nonconference slate getting a closer look at four running backs, and the rotation did not make the answer any simpler. Carson Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace all got chances to show what they can do, but the way those carries were distributed also made it clear this job is still open as Big Ten play arrives.
Martin stood out most against Buffalo, where his versatility in the passing game added another layer to his case, while Peoples continued to show growth and a knack for finding the end zone. Those two now look like the clearest candidates to head the depth chart, even if the staff has not committed to one lead option yet, and the coming conference games should tell whether Penn State leans toward the more dynamic all-purpose threat or the back who has been quickest to turn touches into points. [Read more 🡒]