Tag: Duce Robinson

USC’s Duce Robinson not picked in 2023 MLB draft

This news ensures that Robinson will play football and baseball in the 2023-2024 college sports cycle for #USC.

Let’s be clear about all of this: It would have been great if Duce Robinson got picked in the 2023 MLB draft, particularly in the top 150 to 200 players. Robinson would have received solid up-front money and would have had reason to embark on a lucrative professional career. That’s his dream as a high-level athlete. We should want the best outcomes for every athlete (just as we should want the best for every person).

Duce Robinson, a football-baseball dual-sport prospect, didn’t get the news he wanted. That is unfortunate. He wasn’t picked in the 2023 MLB draft.

Robinson’s next step: Prove a thing or two at USC. Not getting drafted means Robinson will be able to play football and baseball for the Trojans this next season. He can significantly raise his value as an athlete in two different sports. It will be exciting to see what he can do as a Trojan, starting on the gridiron and then continuing with Andy Stankiewicz’s baseball program in February of 2024.

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USC’s Duce Robinson not taken in first 10 rounds of 2023 MLB draft

The first 10 rounds involved 314 #MLBDraft picks. Robinson, if picked later in the draft, would not command a large salary.

The wait for Duce Robinson continued into the midday hours of Tuesday at the 2023 MLB draft. Robinson, a USC commit who could play for the Trojans at tight end this coming season, had an eye on the draft and its outcome. Robinson watched on Monday as he was not picked in any of the first 10 rounds of the draft. Those 10 rounds encompassed 314 draft selections.

An early-round selection would translate to a higher salary slot value. Some examples: The No. 6 pick in the 2023 MLB draft translates to a $6.63 million slot value. The No. 75 pick in the draft has a slot value of $960,000. If Duce Robinson had been a top-100 pick, he would be getting north of $500,000 to play professional baseball, and he would face a real decision in terms of staying at USC or chasing a pro sports career.

Having not been picked in the top 300 (with more picks being made on Tuesday in the remaining rounds of the draft), Robinson won’t get a large slot value.

We have very likely witnessed a series of events which should solidify Robinson as a USC football and baseball player for the upcoming 2023-2024 college sports cycle.

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Duce Robinson, considering pro baseball career, not listed in top 250 before 2023 MLB draft

A high draft selection might convince Duce Robinson to pursue an MLB career, so these rankings increase the chances he’ll play at #USC for a few years.

The USC Trojans football program (and baseball program) landed a massive get in tight end Duce Robinson. The incoming star is set to play both football and baseball, although he will likely emerge as one of Caleb Williams’ favorite targets.

However, his baseball profile isn’t as appealing, and a new series of prospect rankings was released with Robinson not listed in the top 250, per MLB Pipeline.

It’s rare that a player of Robinson’s caliber plays two sports, but that is the direction things are heading at USC. With these latest rankings being released, it likely increases his chances of playing baseball next season and extending his time in Southern California.

Nonetheless, it will be exciting and interesting to see if Duce Robinson can succeed at both sports. For the sake of Lincoln Riley, hopefully he can excel on the football field.

The 2023 MLB draft is Sunday, July 9 through Tuesday, July 11 in Seattle, on MLB Network.

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Kliff Kingsbury’s work with Kyler Murray is a big reason Lincoln Riley hired him

There are so many angles to the Lincoln Riley-Kliff Kingsbury partnership at #USC. Kyler Murray figures prominently in it.

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is expected to join Lincoln Riley at USC and work with the team’s quarterbacks.

Kliff Kingsbury, who was part of the organization that drafted former Heisman winner Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall, now will coach another potential No. 1 pick and Heisman Trophy Winner in Caleb Williams.

Both quarterbacks are Lincoln Riley quarterbacks, but in many ways the presence of Kyler Murray looms large in this story.

Kingsbury’s coaching career began at the University of Houston as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 under Kevin Sumlin. He coached four seasons there, rising to the level of offensive coordinator/quarterback coach in his final two seasons (2010-2011). He built a reputation as a quarterback guru during his time there.

He coached NFL quarterback Case Keenum at Houston, where he set what still stands as the NCAA’s all-time records for career passing yards (19,217) and passing touchdowns (155). Kingsbury then spent one season (2012) at Texas A&M in 2012 as the Aggies’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His quarterback that season, Johnny Manziel, won the Heisman Trophy.

Kliff coached another first-round NFL draft pick (2018), Baker Mayfield, in his first season as Texas Tech’s head coach in 2013. He then coached two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes from 2014-2016 with the Red Raiders.

Kingsbury obviously knows how to coach quarterbacks, and that’s certainly a central reason why Lincoln Riley hired him. Among the quarterbacks Kingsbury has coached, however, Kyler Murray might stand out the most.

Let’s remember that new USC commit Duce Robinson — like Murray — is a football and baseball prospect. One can be sure that Robinson and Kingsbury are going to have some conversations about how to handle that tension point and its complications.

How Kingsbury coached Murray with the Cardinals will be a natural reference point for both Caleb Williams and Malachi Nelson as they try to soak up knowledge and develop as quarterbacks. How Kliff succeeded — and how he failed — will give Caleb and Malachi more information on how to progress as quarterbacks with designs on NFL success.

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USC baseball’s surprising success occurs alongside Duce Robinson’s arrival

Robinson, an elite baseball prospect, can see #USC baseball is improving. Did that help him pick the Trojans? It couldn’t have hurt!

It is far from certain that Duce Robinson, a strong prospect in both football and baseball, will play both sports for USC. As 247Sports experts noted — and as we shared with you on Saturday — Robinson could take off and play professional baseball without ever suiting up for USC.

Yet, playing both sports as a Trojan is one of a number of possibilities which could emerge for Robinson.

It is impossible to ignore, in the midst of this complicated situation, the improvement of USC baseball in a very short period of time under first-year head coach Andy Stankiewicz. The Trojans, picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 in preseason polls, are first in the conference entering play on Sunday, April 2.

One can’t help but wonder: Did this surge help Duce Robinson choose USC? While one would not be inclined to say that it was number one on Robinson’s (and his family’s) list of reasons for choosing the Trojans, it probably didn’t hurt.

It might be more coincidence than causality, but if USC was 10th instead of first, would we be here today, discussing Duce Robinson’s future as a Trojan? It’s an interesting discussion point.

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What analysts and experts are saying about Duce Robinson and USC

The experts at 247Sports offer a detailed, informative look at the various aspects of Duce Robinson’s situation.

There is so much to say about new USC commit Duce Robinson not only because he is a dynamic player, not only because he is a two-sport star, not only because he plays for Lincoln Riley with a Heisman-winning quarterback named Caleb Williams, but because he might not even play for USC.

Yes, it really is that complicated.

While it is undeniably great news that Robinson committed to USC over Kirby Smart and Georgia, we are not yet at a point where Robinson is absolutely guaranteed to play for the Trojans. No, you shouldn’t be freaking out, but you shouldn’t think it’s a done deal that Robinson will suit up for USC this fall. There are more plot points to deal with this summer, well before the scheduled season opener in late August against San Jose State.

Here’s what various 247Sports analysts are saying about Duce Robinson the athlete and Duce Robinson the football and baseball prospect, a man who has important decisions to make:

(h/t Blair Angulo of 247 Sports)

Instant reaction to Duce Robinson’s commitment to USC

Our friends @TrojanConquests and @LBCTrojan at the @VoiceOfCFB offered analysis of Duce Robinson to #USC.

The Duce Robinson story has many dimensions at USC. Will his baseball aspirations get in the way of his football path? What kind of player can Lincoln Riley create and develop if Robinson does play for the Trojans?

We aren’t going to be able to fully answer all of these questions right away, but we can certainly being speculating! The fuller reality of Robinson’s situation is that he will want to see where he stands in the MLB draft pecking order this summer. Then he will likely make a decision on exactly how he wants to organize his sports-playing career, either as a dual-sport (football and baseball) athlete or in one of the two sports.

USC hopes to derive benefit from Robinson’s skills, both in football and baseball, but nothing is known with absolute certainty just yet. However, it’s obviously better to win Robinson’s recruitment than lose it.

Our friends Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya at The Voice of College Football host Trojan Conquest Live every Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific. They offered a short bonus episode in reaction to Duce Robinson’s commitment. They’ll have more on Duce Robinson on their upcoming Sunday show. Subscribe to, like, and share the USC channel at The Voice of College Football.

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Duce Robinson moves USC to No. 8 in national 2023 recruiting rankings

#USC passed Oregon and now has the No. 1 2023 class in the #Pac12. Seems pretty good.

USC is about to enter its last football season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The Trojans hope to end the season on top of the conference standings. That’s where it really counts.

For now, they’ll have to settle for being on top in the recruiting rankings.

The successful recruitment of top tight end Duce Robinson has enabled USC to rise to No. 8 in the nation in the 247Sports recruiting rankings for the Class of 2023. The Trojans passed the Oregon Ducks, who are now No. 9 in the country. USC has the Pac-12’s No. 1 class for the upcoming college football cycle.

“USC is USC,” Robinson told 247Sports. “Southern California is beautiful, I’ve got great relationships with all of these guys in this class and I’ve got a great relationship already with Caleb Williams. It doesn’t hurt to have a great relationship with the Heisman Trophy winner.

How baseball could complicate USC’s relationship with Duce Robinson

Duce Robinson could play football and baseball for #USC, but it’s not that clear-cut. It’s not that simple.

Duce Robinson signed to play for USC on Thursday, but it is not guaranteed that he will play college football for the Trojans. We can’t ignore the possibility that he will pursue a baseball career and put football on the back burner.

College football recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman said the following about the role baseball could play in shaping Duce Robinson’s decisions:

“Baseball is looming extremely large here, and to the point where if he goes in the first five rounds in this summer’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, that could be the route he ends up pursuing,” Huffman noted.

“He may not be drafted as high as say, Archie Bradley or Jordyn Adams, two recent Power Five football players who ultimately chose baseball, but a first-five round selection could be the difference maker. So I think baseball is an even larger factor here than most want to concede, and if he does go early in the draft, I think he’s more likely to end up in some small Rookie League or A-ball town than Los Angeles.”

USC fans will have to pay attention to the MLB draft this summer.

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Can Lincoln Riley turn Duce Robinson into another Kyle Pitts?

.@GatorsWire loved seeing Dan Mullen and Kyle Pitts destroy defenses in 2020. Can Lincoln Riley do that with Duce Robinson?

The USC Trojans successfully recruited Duce Robinson, the top-ranked tight end prospect in the country. Lincoln Riley probably has his best and most promising tight end as a college coach since Mark Andrews came through the Oklahoma program and helped Riley make the College Football Playoff with the Sooners in 2017.

We will see how Duce Robinson measures up against Mark Andrews. Another elite tight end with downfield pass-catching ability is worth mentioning here: Kyle Pitts of the Florida Gators in the 2020 college football season.

Kyle Pitts was the favorite target of quarterback Kyle Trask, but what really enabled Pitts to flourish is that he had an elite play-designer who put him in a position to succeed. That play-designer was head coach Dan Mullen, whose problem at Florida was not play-calling, but recruiting.

USC is not having many problems in recruiting, though it could use more defensive prospects. Lincoln Riley is doing well on that front, and he is every bit the play-designer Dan Mullen is if not more so.

Florida — with Pitts — scored 46 points against Nick Saban and Alabama in the 2020 SEC Championship Game. The Gators then lost to Riley and Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Florida’s defense got shredded, but the Gator offense was superb. A great play-caller using an elite tight end was a central source of Florida’s success.

If Riley can use Duce Robinson as well as Dan Mullen used Kyle Pitts at Florida, USC’s offense — already loaded — will become even more explosive.

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