Coming off the worst showing of defensive coordinator Ryan Walters' career against Iowa, Washington's defense is looking to bounce back this week against a Purdue offense that just hung up 41 points on Minnesota. As the Huskies continue to battle the injury bug, another key player has fallen victim: fourth-year linebacker Xe'ree Alexander.
While the unit has plenty of depth to maintain a high level of play, the absence of Alexander opens the door for another promising young talent.
In comes second-year player Donovan Robinson Jr., who, after redshirting his freshman season, put on an impressive showing in fall camp. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, the second-year player presents both the size and athleticism to be an impact player in the Big
Ten, but has struggled to find playing time in Walters' core rotation behind the injured Alexander, fifth-year seniors Jacob Manu and Tariq Al-Uqdah, and sophomore Zaydrius Rainey-Sale.
Despite the lack of experience, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters has a lot of confidence in the former three-star recruit, who could see a major increase in action.
"Donnie has done a great job in his growth and his improvement," Walters said on Tuesday. "He's made a ton of plays on special teams, and he continues to get better defensively, and if his number's called, I've got full faith and confidence, and so does the defense, in him."
Through the first half of the season, Robinson has racked up 6 tackles, most of which have come on special teams. After redshirting his first season on Montlake, the product of Loyola Academy High School in the greater Chicago area emerged this offseason as a player who could play a major role in the defense moving forward. Although those opportunities haven't necessarily come just yet, the door will be open to put out quality tape on Friday night against Purdue.
With their backs against the wall facing off against a formidable opponent on the road, Washington has no other choice but to continue to rely on their young talent to come up with winning plays, something that is yet to be seen in Big Ten play.
While the raw talent of Jedd Fisch's past two recruiting classes has been on full display this year, it hasn't directly correlated with wins. Robinson will have the opportunity to help change that narrative.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: LB Donovan Robinson Has Chance to Make Impact for Washington Football
