5 hours ago 1

Class Impact: Brayden Robinson Gives Notre Dame A Dynamic Playmaker

Notre Dame is absolutely scorching hot on the recruiting trail and that continued with the commitment of dynamic Texas wide receiver Brayden Robinson. The 5-9, 160-pound athlete picked Notre Dame over Miami (Fla.) and Arizona.

Let's break down how the commitment of Robinson impacts the Notre Dame 2026 class and depth chart.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Robinson is the 25th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2026 class and he's the 16th offensive player to join the class. Robinson is the fifth wide receiver to commit to Notre Dame, joining Kaydon Finley, Bubba Frazier, Devin Fitzgerald and Dylan Faison.

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As was stated in past Class Impacts for wide receivers, Notre Dame entered the 2026 recruiting cycle looking to add numbers and impact talent to the wide receiver position. The Irish landed three players in the 2025 class, three in the 2024 class and five in the 2023 class. Two of the players in the 2023 class have already departed and that class will be seniors when the 2026 class arrives. With Notre Dame looking to run more 11 personnel under Mike Denbrock the depth chart needed another boost in numbers at the position.

The goal in the class was to land at least four receivers in the class, although that could always grow to five if the right group of players wanted to commit to Notre Dame. Landing Finley and Fitzgerald the previous two days got Notre Dame to four, which means Robinson was one of those "right players" with the kind of dynamic talent the Irish coaches could not turn down.

Notre Dame also wanted to add speed and playmaking ability to the position, and Robinson along with Frazier gives Notre Dame a second fast, dynamic wideout that can do damage in a variety of ways, including on special teams.

NOTRE DAME FIT

Robinson plays all over the field for Red Oak, lining up on the outside and in the slot. He can do some different things in the Notre Dame offense in similar ways to Jordan Faison, but the slot is his ideal position. He can be a weapon in the screen game, movement plays (jets, reverses) and screen game. Robinson has strong route running skills and shows good ball skills, traits that could allow him to do some work on the outside in certain looks. His size is a concern, but Robinson has the speed and ball skills to overcome it and be a pass catcher that can do damage down the field.

FILM ANALYSIS

Let's get the biggest knock on Robinson out of the way up front. He's not a very big pass catcher. There are limitations as a wide receiver for a player who is listed at 5-9, which might be a bit generous. There are things he can do in high school that he likely won't be able to do in college. He and the Notre Dame coaches might need to do some things with him that look to overcome his last of size. Despite being on the short side, Robinson is very well built and is a strong athlete, which is certainly one thing that helps him overcome his lack of height. His strength and toughness help him make a lot of plays with the ball in his hands.

Now that we've got that out of the way let's dive into what makes Robinson such an intriguing pickup for Notre Dame. First and foremost he's an explosive, dynamic athlete in every way. Robinson has legit burner speed, and his track time (10.44 in the 100-meter dash) shows up on film. He can blow past defenders on vertical routes and also with the ball in his hands. He gets to top speed in a hurry and shows excellent acceleration. Robinson's ability to quickly accelerate off the line and out of breaks allows him to be an elite separator at the prep level, and that should translate quite well to college.

Robinson is more than just a burner. He's an extremely sudden athlete that is able to change direction in impressive fashion. He can make multiple cuts in a hurry and accelerates extremely quickly out of breaks and with the ball in his hands. He's a nightmare matchup in space due to this traits. Robinson shows good leaping ability for his size but he won't be a guy you're throwing a lot of jump balls too. What you want to do with Robinson is figure out as many ways as possible to get him the football in space, where his athleticism and speed make him extremely difficult to handle.

What I like about Robinson's game is that he's not just an elite athlete, he shows a really good feel for the game as well. Robinson is a really quality route runner. He not only eats up cushion well, he attacks leverage relatively well and shows impressive burst out of his breaks. He is great at finding openings in the defense with the ball in his hands but he also shows that ability as a route runner, which helps him get into space down the field as well. Robinson has very strong hands and tracks the ball extremely well.

Landing Robinson also impacts the special teams as well. It wouldn't surprise me to see him get a chance to make an immediate impact as a return man. You have to find ways to get him the football, whether that's on offense or special teams.

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Irish Breakdown Content

2025 Scholarship Chart
2025 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2026 Commits
Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers

2025 Commit Rankings - Offense
2025 Commit Rankings - Defense

2024 Recruiting Class
2023 Recruiting Class
2022 Recruiting Class

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