Huskies CB Dylan Robinson ready to build on freshman season

Published 10:03 am Wednesday, August 5, 2026

SEATTLE — There was no soft landing for Huskies cornerback Dylan Robinson during his first start last season.

He arrived on campus in June after graduating from Bonita H.S. (La Verne, Calif.), where he was mostly known as a wide receiver. By September, he was lining up as a defensive back against soon-to-be two-time All-American Heisman candidate Jeremiah Smith. In a one-on-one interview with the Emerald City Spectrum at Washington’s media day on Tuesday, Robinson said he felt ready for the moment.

“It’s everything that I wanted,” said Robinson, who played in 12 games, starting five in his first college season. “I’m not a person that shies away from competition, and [Smith] is some of the best of the best. So it was always a goal to come in freshman year and play the best comp that I could, and that was the opportunity.

“Honestly, I was just super grateful to be in my shoes at that point in time, and I think that this year now I’m going to be able to attack it more.”

While head coach Jedd Fisch and his staff have assembled strong recruiting classes the past two seasons, Robinson stands out as with the potential to be one of the best. With NFL size at 6-3, 215 pounds and enough speed to keep up with the Smiths of the college football world, Robinson appears to have all the makings of an NFL first-round draft pick when he’s eligible after the 2027 season.

With fall camp set to open on Thursday, expectations are high for the second-year cornerback.

“He’s transitioning from just being an athlete to actually being the corner,” Huskies secondary coach John Richardson said. “Dylan in high school primarily played a receiver, and that’s where some of his [college football recruiting] offers came from. So converting into a DB and his first start going against Ohio State was a challenge.

Robinson quickly earned a spot as a primary backup after his 2025 summer arrival. Playing behind a pair of 6-4 senior cornerbacks in Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock, it seemed unlikely Robinson would start on the outside fresh out of high school. Davis, however, suffered some injuries during the UW’s 9-4 season that forced Robinson into action earlier than planned.

With Davis and Prysock gone to the NFL, Robinson will man an outside spot, along with Virginia transfer Emanuel Karnley.

“His first play was against Jeremiah Smith, so it wasn’t necessarily a good situation, great situation, you know,” Richardson said with a laugh. “But he learned, and he matured. But now he’s actually just more comfortable playing in the position. He did off raw ability last year, and now he’s more fine-tuning, critiquing every technique, and he’s holding himself accountable to those things.”

Robinson held his own against Ohio State in a game the Husking hung around for a while before ultimately relenting 24-6. Pro Football Focus graded Robinson as the third-best defender that day with a score of 67.1.

This year, there will be fewer surprises. Robinson believes his play will take a big jump in 2026 with a season of Big Ten play and a full offseason under his belt.

“It’s everything, it’s everything,” Robinson said. “Coming in last year, I came in the summer, so all I had was fall camp, and it was season time. So I’m super excited to get the spring ball in, get the hours in, and the reps in. And I really am just more comfortable on the field, and I’m just ready to make plays.”

It’s not only his individual play that excites Robinson. He believes Washington’s defense will be elite in 2026 after a solid 2025 in Ryan Walters’ first season as defensive coordinator.

“There’s not a single weak point in our defense,” he said. “I’m confident looking around the field when I’m lining up that everybody’s gonna make a play. I’m super confident in the defense and in our secondary, and I’m really just excited to see what we do this year.”

Notes

• There were not a ton of surprises at Tuesday’s Media Day. Aside from the previously reported status of running back Jordan Washington — who could miss the season — the Huskies are in good shape health-wise. According to Fisch, center Landen Hatchett and his brother Geirean — likely a primary backup at the interior line spots — will miss the first few days of practices. Mississippi State transfer defensive lineman Kai McClendon also remains out, but should return during camp.

• Second-year running back Quaid Carr will be given every shot to start and is a “special,” according to UW running backs coach Scottie Graham. Oregon transfer Jayden Limar will play a lot, and Troy transfer Trey Cooley is also expected to be in the. Freshman Brian Bonner Jr. could also factor in depending on how fall camp goes.

• Wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings indicated that Rashid Williams is entrenched in the “Y” receiver position, and Dezmen Roebuck will man the slot. The “X” position is wide open, Cummings and Fisch said, with Kennesaw State transfer Christian Moss, freshman Jordan Clay, sophomore Chris Lawson and freshman Trez Walker all in the running.

Practice schedule

Here’s the full Fall Camp schedule. All practices run about 2 ½ hours and are open to fans unless otherwise indicated.

Aug. 6 –10 a.m.

Aug. 7 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 9 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 10 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 11 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 13 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 14 – 12 p.m.

Aug. 15 – 5:45 p.m.

Aug. 16 – Closed practice

Aug. 18 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 19 – 9:15 a.m.

Aug. 20 – 10 a.m.

Aug. 21 – 9:15 a.m.

Aug. 22 – Mock Game, Fan Fest, 6:30 p.m.

This story originally appeared at emeraldcityspectrum.com