Kam Robinson, an impact player as a freshman, looks to become a force at LB for Virginia

Kam Robinson, a four-star recruit who was the big get in Virginia’s 2023 prep signing class, was an immediate impact player at linebacker, even though he was playing a bit small.

“I was playing last year at, like, 225, so I was small out there, just doing it. Like, I wasn’t gonna let, just, because I was small, you know, mess up my game, because I know I can play with those dudes. I just had to get in my head at first, because I was playing a little timid, because I was, like, I’m just trying to do everything right, and I tried to do nothing wrong, and then that’s when you start messing up,” Robinson told reporters after a spring practice last week.

Robinson felt like he hit his stride in Week 4, in a 24-21 last-second loss to NC State, which went on to finish with nine wins.

Robinson had 11 tackles, a sack and a QB pressure on 65 snaps in the NC State game, and in the process added another level to what Virginia could do on defense.

Robinson finished his freshman season with 71 tackles, ranking third on the defense, 4.5 tackles for loss, which ranked second, and a team-leading two INTs, including a picksix in the 31-24 loss to then-#11 Louisville.

Robinson got a lot of reps in his true-freshman season, 474 snaps, and he earned a linebacker-unit-best 71.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.

He feels like he’s just scratching the surface in terms of his ability to be disruptive.

“I’ve been just trying to get the little details right, like, to add discipline, fitting the right gaps, learning the whole defense, getting the D line straight, DBs, secondary, just trying to get all those little things right to better my game,” Robinson said.