‘23 TN SDE Nathan Robinson (Tennessee commit)

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#89
Tennessee has been one of the top contenders for Nathan Robinson, if not the team to beat for him, since giving him his first Power Five scholarship offer almost a year ago. He has visited the Vols on a regular basis since first traveling to Knoxville in April for their spring-ending Orange and White Game, and they have continued to impress him each time he has been there.

It was no surprise that the Class of 2023 defensive lineman from Greenbrier (Tenn.) High School included Tennessee in the top three he announced on Feb. 1, along with Ole Miss and Kentucky. And as he moves toward his college decision, the Vols still appear to be good shape with him coming off his latest trip to Knoxville.

The 6-foot-5, 268-pound Robinson was back at Tennessee on Saturday for its first spring practice in pads. It was his second trip to Tennessee this month, and, by all indications, the Vols again made a strong impression on him while he was there.

Sources close to his recruitment believe they're currently in the driver's seat for Robinson, who's already planning to return to Knoxville on April 9 for Tennessee's spring scrimmage that will be part of Tennessee's "All Vol Weekend." I made a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction Monday morning for the Vols to land Robinson, one of their top remaining in-state targets.

Ole Miss recently has emerged as Tennessee's main competition for Robinson, and he's scheduled to visit the Rebels again this weekend before returning to Knoxville next weekend. But all signs point to the Vols currently being the favorites to land him, and there are multiple reasons to believe Tennessee ultimately will win out over Ole Miss and Kentucky.

After visiting the Vols for their junior day on March 5, he told GoVols247 that he planned to "do a round of spring practices — all three schools — and then probably (official visits) to all three schools this summer." He added at the time that he "hopefully" would be able to "come close to making a decision" after his official visits this summer.

Regardless of when Robinson announces his commitment, Tennessee appears to have positioned itself well with him. He now has been to Knoxville six times within the past year, including his pair of visits with the Vols last summer. He also attended their home game Nov. 13 against Georgia.

Robinson's relationship with Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner and other members of the Vols' staff, including head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, has gotten even stronger in recent months. And Tennessee has been impressed by Robinson's continued development this offseason, according to sources, with the roughly 30 pounds he has added since the end of his junior season making it even easier for the Vols to project him to the defensive line at the next level. He has primarily played linebacker for most of his high school.

Tennessee has been in good shape with Robinson for months, and his repeated visits with the Vols only have strengthened their position going into the final months of his recruitment. They have a good chance of landing him if everything goes according to plan, and it's not out of the question that his timeline for a decision could accelerate if the momentum continues to shift toward Tennessee.
-Callahan
 

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