Ellis Robinson thankful for trust from Georgia coaches, teammates in first start

ATHENS, Ga. — Ellis Robinson’s IV much-anticipated first start came on Saturday in Georgia’s 45-7 win over Marshall. Fans have been clamoring to see the former five-star prospect in action since he signed with the Bulldogs in December of 2024.

It stands to reason that Robinson, himself, has been dreaming of getting the nod, too. There was even a little anxiety involved, but the redshirt freshman was able to put it all in perspective on Tuesday.

“I had a little nerves, being my first game, my first start,” Robinson said. “But I was just glad that my coaches and my teammates would trust me out there on the field with them.”

Marshall was unable to test Robinson or the rest of Georgia’s secondary for the first three quarters. The Bulldogs held the Thundering Heard to 72 total yards through 45 minutes of game action.

Robinson still found a way to impact the game, registering one tackle that was categorized as an assist. It came on a boundary corner blitz late in the second quarter, behind the line of scrimmage. Robinson shared the stop with Army transfer Elo Modozie.

Kirby Smart told reporters multiples times last season that the nation’s No. 1 cornerback in the 2024 class was close to getting onto the field. He saw some late-game, mop-up action but nothing otherwise. Unlike some young defensive backs, Robinson wasn’t able to break through on special teams and spent most of the season learning.

After a solid spring, buzz of Robinson’s rise started over the summer. The Connecticut native turned a corner during Georgia’s player-led workouts and carried that momentum into preseason camp. He saw extensive action with the No. 1 defense in both scrimmages, sharing some time with the starter from last season, Daniel Harris. With Daylen Everette battling an ankle injury, both got the season-opening start.

When he spoke with reporters on Tuesday, Robinson indicated that he needed the time afforded to him last season to adjust and acclimate himself to the college game. Now he’s confident that readiness isn’t an issue.

“It’s different,” Robinson said of making the jump to college ball. “SEC ball is definitely different from high school. I’d say it took me a couple months to adjust to it, even from practice aspects of it, really. So it was just really adjustment for me overall, just coming here.”