On The Rich Rodriguez Show on Monday evening, WVU football fans got the update they've been waiting for – bandit Jimmori Robinson will make his debut in the old-gold-and-blue after missing the first three weeks of the season over eligibility issues.
WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez confirmed the news Monday after Robinson appeared on the official roster of players dressed for The Backyard Brawl distributed to the media on Saturday, but did not see any action in the game against Pitt.
"Jimmori Robinson will play his first game with the Mountaineers this Saturday," Rodriguez said.
Rich Rod says Jimmori Robinson will play this Saturday vs. Kansas
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Robinson brings a veteran presence with significant FBS experience, and he was the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 after posting 10.5 sacks on the season. Rodriguez indicated that he and his defensive coaching staff are happy to finally get Robinson into the defensive rotation.
"It's going to be his first game in the system, so we know there's going to be some stuff that he's going to learn through. But we're excited to have him, he's a really good player, and I know he's anxious to play," Rodriguez said.
Robinson will join a defensive front that was just named Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week for their efforts against the Pitt Panthers. Between the defensive line and the linebackers (as well as nickel Fred Perry), the Mountaineers racked up six sacks against Pitt and are currently second in the nation in that statistical category. Robinson's skillset as an edge rusher will only add to the danger posed by a stout WVU defense.
However, fans shouldn't get their hopes high to see too much of Robinson this week – he just began practicing last week, and Rodriguez doesn't expect him to be able to handle a full load when it comes to his snap count. However, the plan is still to get him on the field this week.
"Can he play 60-70 plays? There's no way. You got to practice some. He practiced some last week; he'll get some practice in this week. He's been working out. I think he's in really good shape," Rodriguez said.