The USC transfer’s explosive playmaking has reignited hope in Tallahassee. Now, the freakish athlete must outshine the nation’s elite to cement the Seminoles' long-awaited offensive resurgence.
The Seminoles fan base might not be particularly high on the program Mike Norvell is building at Florida StateU – and they have every reason not to after back-to-back two losing seasons in 2024 and 2025.
Yet, the latest rankings from On3’s Ali Wasserman, among plenty of other developments, hint that the 2026 season might just be the breakout season Norvell needs to reclaim that ACC title.
Wasserman recently released his Top 10 college football wide receivers, and surprisingly, FSU’s 2025 breakout wideout Duce Robinson made it in the Top 10.
Robinson, the USC transfer, ranked No. 6 in the rankings, and Wasserman explained why he got the spot when the 2026 season is a tug of war between one of the finest classes of receivers in the past few years.
“Vibes are low in Tallahassee heading into the season, but Florida State has a chance to do something because Robinson is on the roster,” Wasserman writes. “A former five-star prospect in the 2023 class, Robinson didn’t live up to the hype his freakish traits promised at USC. He transferred to Florida State before last season and instantly became one of the toughest matchups in the ACC.”
Robinson was a model of consistency late in the year, showing off his rare ability to rip off explosive chunk plays down the boundary. And that was when the Seminoles were in limbo in a 5-6 losing season.
With transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels taking over the leadership this season, and the incredible short-term success buzz following him, Robinson has the potential to have the ACC-dominating breakout year he deserved last season
Robinson had 56 receptions for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns a year ago.
“Now, Florida State fans have to hope quarterback transfer Ashton Daniels can get him the rock,” Wasserman writes.
The Challenging Part for Duce Robinson
The challenging part won’t be producing a stat sheet that leaves everyone speechless or putting some mind-boggling plays on his tape. In fact, he already has all of that.
Robinson’s primary hurdle is the sheer amount of positional competition that he’ll face in the ACC itself, let alone the entire college football.
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has been owning the WR rankings for a good year, and he doesn’t intend to give up the spot that easily.
Miami’s Malachi Toney, and Texas’s Cam Coleman follow him subsequently in Wasserman’s rankings, meaning they’ll impose an equally big threat to Robinson wanting to make it to the top.
Interestingly, the Seminoles face both the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Miami Hurricanes in their 2026 slate. So, Robinson will have plenty of chances to cement himself among the Top 5 this season.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
