Wan'Dale Robinson breaks Kentucky football record for catches in a single season
Wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson needed just one season to leave his mark on the Kentucky football record book.
With a second-quarter reception, his sixth of the game, in the regular season finale against Louisville Saturday, Robinson broke the program's record for most catches in a season. The record was previously held by tight end James Whalen, who totaled 90 receptions in the 1999 season.
"He is an absolute baller," UK coach Mark Stoops said after Kentucky's 52-21 win. "He just really is playing at a super high level. He is so competitive, so tough and so good.
"It’s not any one area. He does a lot of things good. He really picks things up. He’s intelligent. He makes tough catches, puts the ball away in traffic. Gets banged up and he’s trying to go in there and cut people out and crack people in the run game. He’s a very complete player."
Robinson's record-setting junior season came in his first year as a Wildcat. The Frankfort native initially committed to Kentucky's 2019 recruiting class, but he flipped his commitment to Nebraska just more than a month later. After two seasons with the Cornhuskers, Robinson transferred home before the 2021 season.
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At Nebraska, Robinson split time between slot receiver and running back, totaling 914 receiving yards and 580 rushing yards with seven total touchdowns. One of his primary goals when entering the transfer portal was to prove he could be a full-time receiver, despite questions about his size at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds.
"(The record) definitely means something to me," Robinson said after UK's win over New Mexico State last week that moved him within five catches of the record. "A lot of people, especially with me transferring, didn’t really want to tell me I could be a full-time receiver, do the things I’m doing now.
"Even my old coach, he wanted to tell me I wasn’t really a receiver. I just kind of put my head down and worked ever since I got here in the spring. Just wanted to make the impact I could. Now, luckily things are paying off.”
Robinson has thrived this season despite accounting for the overwhelming majority of targets from quarterback Will Levis. He was paid even more attention from opposing defenses when super senior wide receiver Josh Ali, the Wildcats' No. 2 option, was sidelined by an injury for two games.
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The record-setting season has Robinson in the running for All-SEC honors at wide receiver after being named to multiple preseason All-SEC teams as an all-purpose player.
"That’s just all the work I tried to put in," Robinson said. "I wanted to go out there and prove I could really play receiver and I could do this at the highest level in college football, the SEC."
With a stellar bowl performance, Robinson could also break UK's record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,311). After tallying nine catches for 97 yards against Louisville, Robinson has 94 catches for 1,164 yards on the season.
Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football: Wan'Dale Robinson breaks catches record vs. U of L
