One way or another, Washington Huskies second-year linebacker Donovan Robinson is going to play his way into a role this upcoming fall if he keeps up performing the same way he did on day six of training camp on Thursday. Robinson, a 6-foot-2 and 225-pound redshirt freshman, had a pass breakup and made his presence felt throughout the day. The Chicago, Illinois native didn't appear in any games last season and comes into 2026 as one of several options as a backup linebacker behind the veteran trio of Jacob Manu, Xe'ree Alexander, and Buddah Al-Uqdah, and sophomore Zaydrius Rainey-Sale. At Loyola Academy, the former three-star defensive back turned linebacker made himself available as a dual kick and punt returner in addition to being a standout defender. Robinson recorded 71 total tackles, 9 pass breakups, 4 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and a sack over 26 games between his junior and senior years.
Donovan Robinson Jr. with the pick-6 🤯 @UW_Footballpic.twitter.com/kzlXdGst82 — Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) May 2, 2026 Huskies inside linebackers coach Brian Odom noted before camp that his unit has plenty of experience between its trio of seniors, in addition to Rainey-Sale, who combined to have 11 starts last season, while Al-Uqdah and Manu missed 17 games between them, but are fully healthy going into 2026. Although it will be hard to crack the two-deep out of camp, Odom did note that there is a plan to use several combinations to keep players fresh and healthy throughout the Big Ten slate, which could pave the way for Robinson to find a role. Outside of snaps on defense, it's likely that if Robinson continues to show well in practice over the next three weeks, he could certainly be in line for a significant special teams role, something second-year coordinator Chris Petrilli holds in high value with Jedd Fisch giving him the entire roster to comprise his various units. This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Rising Linebacker Shines at Washington Football's Fall Camp