Georgia high school football is blessed with some great quarterback talent. Many names have been mentioned for their outstanding performances, and the 2023 season is sure to produce another great group of talented signal callers. One name that perhaps you haven’t heard about yet is poised to have a breakout season, and pretty soon everyone who’s a fan of high school football will know his name: quarterback Todd Robinson of the Valdosta Wildcats.
Last season was the first for Robinson as the starting Valdosta quarterback, and although he may not have set any school records or had overwhelming stats in 2022, he did show the flashes of brilliance that great athletes have as he led his team to an 8-0 start and a late-season Top-10 ranking before finishing 8-3 overall and 2-2 in region play.
The dual-threat Robinson completed 61 of 127 pass attempts for 878 yards passing and 10 TDs. He only had 3 INT all season. He also had 80 rushes for 523 yards and 7 TDs.
Not bad at all for a first-year starter in one of the state’s toughest regions and classifications, and playing in the spotlight on the nation’s all-time winningest football program.
“It was a lot of pressure, but Coach Felton helped me work through that,” Robinson told ITG Next Georgia in a recent interview.
Robinson grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, and moved with his family to Valdosta in the sixth grade. He played multiple positions on both offense and defense, and according to Clay Brindger, who is the director of football operations for Valdosta City Schools and who coached Robinson in the eighth grade, the talented middle-school athlete was as good on defense as he was on offense.
“I remember thinking that Todd was good enough to be a major college prospect as a defensive back or a quarterback, and I still believe that,” Brindger said. “You could tell back then in the eighth grade that he was going to be special, and he’s only gotten better since then.”
Valdosta head football coach Shelton Felton agreed.
“Todd started every game for us last season, and he gained more confidence and improved every week,” Felton said.
The head coach recalled a couple of games last season when Robinson started taking command of his team as well as his position.
“Todd’s breakout game last season came against McEachern, and his performance in that game won the entire team over,” Felton said.
It was game number 6 for Valdosta and it came against the first Class 7A opponent Robinson had faced as a starting quarterback. He finished the game 10 of 18 passing for 180 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran 12 times for 80 yards with a rushing TD. The ’Cats won 24-14, with Robinson responsible for all 3 of the team’s touchdowns.
Then there was perhaps the biggest stage that the first-year starter had ever been on: The Winnersville Classic against rival Lowndes. Felton recalled Robinson before and during the game.
“That’s one of the biggest rivalries in the state, but Todd handled the entire week great, including the pregame,” said Felton. “I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was ready to play. He had a fast start, threw some good balls, and made plays with his legs.”
Perhaps the biggest play was Robinson using those legs and his speed for the first score of the game. It was a 19-yard run that put the Wildcats on the board first, and was the kind of play that special players make in big games.
“That run was D-1 level stuff,” Brindger said. “For Todd to go into that atmosphere and have that type of performance showed everybody how special this young man is. Playing in front of a crowd and atmosphere like that is a lot for a young quarterback.”
Robinson said getting past the early-game jitters was the key.
“The start of that game was huge,” he acknowledged. “It was a lot of pressure.”
Now, with a year of experience and the lessons learned in being a first-year starter as the Valdosta quarterback, Robinson has been preparing for his junior season, and you can already see the difference.
“His growth just from the end of last season to now has been amazing,” said Wildcats offensive assistant Nick Harduvel, who has worked closely with Robinson over the last two years.
Harduvel said the rising junior QB has been working this offseason on his mechanics and arm strength, and the difference is noticeable.
“He’s improved so much in just the last two months,” Harduvel said. “You can only imagine how good he’ll be by the start of the season.”
Felton has admired Robinson’s approach this offseason, also.
“Todd has been working extremely hard this offseason, and has taken on a bigger role as our team leader by being more vocal,” Felton said. “He’s worked extremely hard this offseason in the weight room, and he’s become more comfortable with the playbook, too.”
The Wildcats head coach said Robinson has committed himself to studying other things, also.
“Todd has spent a lot of time in the film room watching clips from last year and trying to understand what he has to improve on this year to take that next step to be a better quarterback,” said Felton.
Brindger added that everyone will see a different quarterback than the one they saw last year: “People are going to see that Todd is bigger, stronger, and faster.”
How fast is Robinson?
“He’s the fastest player on the team,” Brindger said.
With all of the growth, extra practice, and hard work this offseason, Felton said his young quarterback is ready for year two as the Valdosta starter: “Its time. It’s time for Todd to take the next step.”
Remember his name. Todd Robinson, quarterback for the Valdosta Wildcats. You’ll be hearing it a lot in 2023.
