All college football coaches are paranoid; P.J. Fleck will say so himself.
That anxiousness peaks around national signing day each winter. A recruit’s verbal commitment one day can be flipped by another program the next, leaving the spurned coach out in the cold.
The Gophers football coach didn’t have to worry about that with Ethan Robinson last December. His parents, Louis and Tawanda Robinson, made sure Ethan’s word was backed up in action.
Sitting in Fleck’s office, the senior transfer cornerback wanted to exit the portal and commit to Minnesota on the spot.
If that happens with other recruits, Fleck will celebrate and then insist that player posts a statement on social media to make it official. But he didn’t need to make that suggestion this time; Louis beat him to it.
After standing out across three seasons at FCS-level Bucknell, Ethan Robinson had more than 15 scholarship offers from FBS programs when he entered the portal on Dec. 4. He was scheduled to visit a couple other suitors after leaving Dinkytown.
Louis instructed Ethan to take out his phone, text those other coaches that he wasn’t going to fulfill the visits and show Fleck the messages sent.
“I’m sitting there going, ‘Oh my goodness. This is awesome. This is fantastic,’ ” Fleck said. “This is usually me having to walk people through how they say they are not coming (to others). Whose feelings are you going to hurt?”
Then Ethan posted his commitment to Minnesota on X and has since become a key member of the Gophers defense this season. The Montgomery, N.Y., native has two interceptions and 19 tackles through five games. With senior standout Justin Walley injured and missing the last two games, Robinson has been a security blanket on the other side.
USC — the Gophers’ opponent on Saturday night — was one of the schools recruiting Robinson last winter. Others included Auburn, Illinois, Purdue and Arkansas.”
It was just the culture, everything that coach Fleck, the program and the staff here stands for aligns and resonates with my values, my morals,” Robinson said at the start of spring practice in March. “Personally, just hard work, dedication and just trying to make yourself better every day, all things that I take pride in, and just seeing that alignment was very nice for me.”
Ethan wasn’t thrown off by his dad’s blunt direction in Fleck’s office. Louis worked for 20 years in the New York City Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). As a detective, he received a Medal for Valor for his involvement in a shooting that killed another officer in the Bronx in 1998.
“That’s just my dad,” Ethan said. “That’s one of his values. Commitments aren’t going to be taken lightly. If you’re going to commit to something, you’re going to be 100 percent. That’s who my dad is as a man.”
That’s who Ethan is as a young man, too. It’s what has been instilled in him and his younger brother Jayden from Louis and Tawanda, who works in education.
“We just tried to be models as best as we could,” Tawanda said. “We tried to expose him to a lot of diverse people, a lot of diverse ways of thinking. We tried to instill faith, family, hard work, never letting someone outwork you. Exploring all your options, working hard to achieve your goals. I mean, just family values.”
During that same commitment conversation in Fleck’s office, Tawanda turned to Ethan and asked: “Are you sure this is what you want to do? He seems kind of strict.”
Fleck interjected. “Strict?” he recalled saying. “We’re talking structure!”
Tawanda and P.J. both laughed when recalling the exchange.
“I liked P.J. from the beginning, but I could let him know that,” Tawanda said. “I think he’s an awesome coach. I love the way that he tries to uplift young men, and I love the way that he coaches and his style. I was impressed with him as a coach. We went into this process not knowing what to expect from coaches, and I was just really impressed with him as a person. He seemed real genuine and honest.”
The Gophers have gone into the FCS ranks for transfer additions in recent years and found success, examples being linebacker Jack Gibbens (Abilene Christian) and nickel back Jack Henderson (Southeastern Louisiana). And last year’s transfer cornerback Tre’Von Jones (Elon) started all 13 games and was one of the team’s leading tacklers.
The U also has had huge transfer hits at cornerback, including Benjamin St-Juste (Michigan), Chris Williamson (Florida) and Beanie Bishop (Western Kentucky and West Virginia). All three of those guys went onto the NFL.
Fleck credits director of player personnel Marcus Hendrickson and his staff. “We don’t have the biggest staff in the recruiting department,” Fleck said “(They also) do portal recruitment, high school recruiting, high school relations. They’re doing an awful lot. And I think it’s really hard to be right when we’re stretched the way we’re stretched, but that takes really elite people to be able to do the job they’re doing.”
The Gophers seek players that fit their strict — er, structured — program. And Robinson fits like a glove. One example is his persistent use of “sir” and “ma’am.”
“He’s a very regimented kid,” Fleck said. “He’s a very disciplined young man. What he says he’s going to do, he’s going to do. Incredibly accountable, responsible for everything he does. And one of the more polite people you’ll ever meet your entire life.”
Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said Robinson dove right in once he arrived on campus in January — from watching film, asking questions, and making use of every rep in practice, even the ones he’s not participating in. Robinson started in the season opener against North Carolina and has put another anxious coach at ease.
“I don’t even have to think about it — just trust him,” Hertherman said. “He’s in the right spot. He makes plays. He competes for the ball. But that’s how he went about it (starting) in April.”
Minnesota defensive back Ethan Robinson (2) intercepts a pass intended for Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Another key piece the Gophers look for with incoming transfers is a sense of gratitude. Players from the FCS level have it in spades, with the Gophers facilities feeling like the Taj Mahal, Fleck said.
Before the Gophers played the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium last week, quarterback Max Brosmer, a transfer from New Hampshire, sought out Robinson. He wanted them to soak in the opportunity to play in the Big House.
“We got to step back, realize it was a blessing to be here and be extremely grateful and then step back into the (present) moment,” Brosmer said. “He’s a guy that I talk to on a regular basis throughout the week — perspective-wise. I think it’s important to have perspective. … It’s been a good time with him.”
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