Demarcus Robinson is eager to accomplish something in 2013 that no Florida receiver has during the past five years — become relevant in the offense as a true freshman.
No true freshman receiver caught a pass for the Gators in three of the past five seasons. The other two years — 2010 and 2012 — saw Robert Clark catch seven passes for 69 yards and Latroy Pittman haul in two balls for six yards to lead their respective true freshman receiving corps.
Although it is too soon to determine whether Robinson can buck the trend, offensive coordinator Brent Pease has raved about the freshman’s abilities during fall camp.
"I’m not appointing him the greatest thing on Earth yet," Pease said. "But I know he’s worked at his skill, and I think he’s understanding what his opportunity and his job is on each play."
UF will not need Robinson to set the world on fire to make a difference this season.
Things cannot get much worse than in 2012. Florida finished last in the Southeastern Conference by averaging a meager 146.3 passing yards per game. That total was poor enough to rank the Gators 114th out of 120 teams nationally.
With Florida starving for playmakers, Robinson, who is listed as 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, could prove to be the answer. His teammates — particularly those who have had the misfortune of battling against him in practice — have spoken highly of the freshman from Georgia.
"He’s the best I’ve seen so far in person as a freshman," junior cornerback Marcus Roberson said. "I really like him. I think he’ll be a good help to this team."
Added redshirt freshman safety Marcus Maye: "He’s been great. He has made a lot of plays."
Roberson, who is projected to be one of the nation’s elite cornerbacks this season, has looked mediocre at times while covering Robinson during practices open to the media.
At Aug. 15’s practice, Robinson glided past him to make a sensational one-handed grab on a deep pass from quarterback Jeff Driskel — much to the delight of fans in attendance and presumably to Pease and coach Will Muschamp as well.
Several Gators have stated that Robinson flashes his brilliance on a daily basis.
"He’s been pretty consistent making some vertical plays for us down the field," Muschamp said.
"He’s got really good ball skills. He’s got natural instincts in running routes and doing those sort of things. So it’s been a very positive thing for our offense."
Pease has lauded Robinson’s ability to beat press coverage on the line of scrimmage before using his explosiveness to snatch passes down the field or in the middle of traffic. During his senior season of high school, Robinson used those skills to catch 53 passes and score 15 touchdowns before enrolling early at UF on Jan. 7.
"Size-wise," Pease said, "he’s really what you want."
Although Pease has not seen Robinson produce in an actual college game, he compares him to St. Louis Rams receiver Austin Pettis. Pease coached Pettis at Boise State, where the wideout set program records with 229 catches and 39 receiving touchdowns.
Robinson must continue to improve. It remains unlikely that he will be Driskel’s top pass-catching option when Florida opens against Toledo on Aug. 31, but Pease sees the necessary tools for him to become a standout receiver as a true freshman.
"The kid’s a phenomenal athlete," he said. "In every repetition, you can see him get better."
Follow Phil Heilman on Twitter @phillip_heilman.
Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson catches a pass at the Orange and Blue Debut in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on April 6, 2013.
