ATHENS — When you hear Georgia receivers talk about Ellis Robinson, you understand why there’s such a desire to see him take on a greater role in the Georgia defense.
“Me and Ellis go up a lot,” wide receiver Noah Thomas said. “Ellis is, man, he’s a problem. I can’t wait to see him lock up some wide receivers this year and go ball out.”
So if what Thomas — and other Georgia receivers — have said is true, why didn’t we see more of Robinson last season? And what happens if he doesn’t win the starting cornerback job as he battles Daniel Harris and Demello Jones?
That is what makes Robinson’s much-anticipated second season in Athens even more fascinating than his first.
“I knew Georgia was just gonna be work,” Robinson told reporters on Tuesday. “Every day is just nothing but competition. The man across from you, the man in the room, there’s nothing but competition. So it’s just coming in as a freshman, just doing what I have to do, just working, really.
“I didn’t get what I really expected my freshman year, but at the end of the day, I’m still getting developed and everything.”
Robinson played in only four games last season, even with Georgia starting Julian Humphrey and Daniel Harris multiple games. Neither ever locked up the starting spot opposite Daylen Everette.
That’s still up for grabs this spring, as Robinson competes alongside Harris and DeMello Jones. With Everette limited due to injury, the trio has only upped the competition at cornerback this spring.
“I think he, Daniel (Harris) and Demello (Jones) have all rolled through the ones with pretty significant time,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “They’re going to get some good wide-outs, they could get matched up against the big guys, you know, Colbie and Noah (Thomas) and even the other wide outs. So I’m pleased.”
Robinson declined to say whether he dealt with a specific injury last season, though wide receiver Sacovie White made a reference to one.
Perhaps the clear area where Robinson has to grow doesn’t come in coverage. His ball skills have earned universal praise, something he attributes to the main nights he spent working with his dad in New Haven, Conn.
It’s with tackling. Multiple times last season, Smart spoke on his desire for the cornerbacks to be more physical. Robinson knows there’s a mental willingness with tackling that he must embrace to see the field. Kamari Lassiter embodied that during his time in Athens and has quickly become a key piece of the Houston Texans’ defense.
“What I like about Ellis is he competes,” Smart said. “He competes for the ball and it bothers him when people catch the ball on him.”
Robinson arrived at Georgia with a lot more hype than Lassiter. The former was the No. 2 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and someone who regularly held his own against Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s star wide receiver.
Smith was an instant difference-maker for the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Robinson spent last season having to learn the value of patience.
He’s hoping that translates into a more meaningful role this season.
“Hardest lesson that I had to learn from my freshman year, I’d probably say was being patient,” Robinson said. “Because yeah, I wanted to be out there on the field, but at the end of the day, I knew that my time was coming. And I knew that it was gonna come eventually. So just staying patient, just trusting the process of what they have planned for me.”
A strong showing on G-Day will go a long way in accelerating Robinson’s path to the field.
He came to Georgia knowing he would be competing against capable individuals. Harris, Jones and Everette are all good enough to start for Georgia.
Robinson is as well and hopes he gets the chance to prove that.
“We just keep competing every day,” Robinson said. “We know nothing’s guaranteed here at Georgia. So we just gotta keep working for everything that we got.”
