Florida State needs to unlock Duce Robinson against Alabama by creating favorable matchups, improving protection and restoring his deep-ball impact.
Florida State has a Duce Robinson problem, but it isn’t necessarily a Duce Robinson problem.
Through the early portion of the 2026 season, one of the Seminoles’ most physically imposing offensive weapons has been surprisingly quiet. Robinson has caught just five passes on nine targets for 75 yards, and as Florida State prepares for Saturday’s matchup with Alabama, finding ways to get him involved has become an important part of the offensive equation.
Head coach Mike Norvell acknowledged that responsibility doesn’t fall on one person.
“I think it’s both,” Norvell said when asked about getting Robinson more involved. “You want to make sure that you’re putting him in a position to be able to get favorable matchups. Favorable space, making sure that if there’s coverages that are trying to roll to individuals, how can you move them around to make sure he’s getting opportunities.”
The numbers show just how dramatically Robinson’s usage has changed.
Last season, Robinson was a legitimate vertical weapon. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), 33.7% of his targets came 20 or more yards downfield. He caught 13 passes on 32 deep targets for 561 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a staggering 43.2 yards per reception.
His 31.5-yard average depth of target in that area reinforced what made him so dangerous.
Robinson wasn’t simply catching passes. He was changing the geometry of the defense.
That element has largely disappeared through the early stages of 2026.
Robinson has received only three deep targets, catching one for 24 yards. His greatest success has instead come underneath, where he has caught two passes for 26 yards on three short targets and earned an 80.5 PFF receiving grade.
The directional splits are even more revealing.
Robinson has been targeted four times between the numbers at the intermediate level, catching two passes for 25 yards. On short throws between the numbers, he is 2-for-2 for 26 yards. Yet there has been virtually nothing outside the numbers beyond one 24-yard deep reception.
That makes Norvell’s comments about moving Robinson around particularly important.
Florida State doesn’t necessarily need to force-feed Robinson. It needs to make defenses account for him from more locations.
Put him in the slot. Move him across the formation. Manufacture opportunities against safeties or smaller defensive backs. Use underneath concepts early to get him touches and potentially force Alabama to adjust before attacking vertically.
“There’s some times that we also got to make sure that we’re giving Ashton time to get the ball to him,” Norvell said. “There’s a couple of times last week that was where we were going and unfortunately, just didn’t have the time to get the ball out.”
A receiver can be open downfield and still disappear from the box score if protection breaks down before the route develops. Against Alabama, Florida State cannot simply dial up slow-developing vertical shots and expect Robinson’s production to suddenly return.
The Seminoles need answers built into the offense.
Robinson demonstrated last season that he can punish defenses vertically. The 2026 numbers suggest Florida State has yet to consistently put him in position to do it again.
Saturday provides an opportunity to change that.
Against Alabama, Florida State may need Duce Robinson to become much more than a decoy.
