By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
Junior Tavius Robinson is playing his first season in the SEC after transferring in from the University of Guelph in Canada. At defensive lineman, Robinson recorded 65 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in his first two seasons in college.
For Robinson, playing in the SEC will be an adjustment. However, he thinks he is up to the challenge.
“(Play) is a whole lot quicker,” Robinson said. “Have to get your reads, and more physical. That is for sure. I think I can compete at this level. I try to get better every day.”
At the start of COVID, Robinson’s football season in Canada was canceled. Knowing he wouldn’t have a chance to play, he began sending out highlight videos (on Twitter) to see if anyone was interested in taking him on.
“As one coach found it, then other coaches started finding it,” Robinson said. “From there I got this opportunity.”
The Rebels defense needs to continue working on their pass rushes every day, according to Robinson.
“We just have to keep working every day to get better,” he said. “(By) focusing on our pass rushes. If the first move doesn’t work, go on to the second one. We are going to keep working on that.”
Before transferring, Robinson never saw imagined himself coming to play at Ole Miss all the way from Canada.
“No, I always like to watch games on TV and wonder if I could be at this level, and now that I am here it’s cool, and I know I can be here,” he said. “The coaches were very welcoming to start and explained how it was here and stuff. Made sure I would have the proper stuff to leave my school and come here.”
Once Robinson arrived on campus “all the guys were so welcoming,” he said. “Just overall good guys making sure I transitioned even better.”
Prior to arriving in Oxford, Robinson had followed the big teams and conferences.
“Once the offers started coming in, it seemed (too) crazy to be real,” he said. Since arriving in Mississippi Robinson has had to make adjustments.
“The weather is a lot hotter here,” Robinson said. “That was a shock when I got here.”
Robinson and the rest of the Rebels look to pick up their first win of the season against Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. on SEC Network.