Landon Robinson 5’10 Navy DL: New Blueprint for College Football Hope

Frisco, Texas – At the East-West Shrine Bowl, one of the most talked-about disruptors was not a 6’5”, 300-pound five-star. It’s Navy defensive tackle Landon Robinson, a prospect listed around 5’11 and 291 pounds, and he’s been living in the backfield during practices. In one practice report, he was described as having “a big day,” consistently getting penetration and disrupting team drills, with evaluators noting that while he’s undersized, he’s explosive enough to win with quickness and leverage. That’s not just a cool “underdog” storyline. It’s a loud reminder of where football is headed.

Why this matters now: Recruiting has changed, and the portal accelerated it

College football has entered a new reality:

• The Transfer Portal created instant competition: 18-year-old freshmen are now battling 22–24-year-old transfers who’ve already been in college weight rooms, film rooms, and Saturday pressure.
• Coaches have fewer “development years” to wait: Winning now often means taking players who can execute now.
• Scheme fit is becoming the true currency: Not every defense needs a prototype body type. Many need a problem-solver.

That’s why a player like Navy’s undersized interior disruptor can show up at an all-star event and immediately pop. He’s not winning because he looks the part. He’s winning because he’s built for a role: low pad level, quick first step, violent hands, and a motor that doesn’t quit.  When you turn on Shrine Bowl practice tape and see him play in the game, he plays larger than his true size.  As a smaller defensive lineman, he repeatedly penetrates the backfield. You’re watching a pure DAWG who, truth be told, coaches have always known.  In an age of star rankings, guys like Landon often get overlooked, but those who have heart + drive + opportunity will always rise. That is why it is so exciting to see him at the Shrine Bowl to compete for an opportunity to get drafted.

The bigger lesson: “Undersized” doesn’t mean “underqualified.” Football is full of “measurables guys” who never become football players. It’s full of “undersized guys” who become nightmares, because leverage beats height, burst beats reach, and technique beats hype when the pads come on. What this Navy standout proved at the Shrine Bowl is exactly what smart programs are prioritizing more than ever:

Find the player who fits the job

Not every defense needs a skyscraper at defensive tackle. Some need:

• a penetrating 3-tech who wins with get-off
• a disruptive interior rusher who forces quick throws
• a leverage monster who turns double teams into stalemates
• a relentless motor that breaks plays late
• That’s why “scheme fit” is more valuable than chasing stars.

Football has always rewarded traits

• burst
• leverage
• vision
• toughness
• effort
• intelligence

But for years, recruiting leaned heavily on prototypes. Today, those prototypes are being challenged by production. The Navy defensive lineman who dominated Shrine Bowl practices isn’t an exception. He’s a reminder that a player who fits the job will often outperform a player who merely looks the part. And history backs that up.

Undersized defensive players who changed the game

Some of the most dominant defenders in football were once labeled “too small”:

• Aaron Donald (6’1) — Undersized by traditional standards, yet one of the most dominant defenders in NFL history
• Calijah Kancey (6’0) — Once questioned for size, now a first-round NFL pick and elite interior disruptor
• Elvis Dumervil (5’11) — Written off early, finished with 100+ career sacks
• John Randle (6’1) — Undrafted to the Hall of Fame
• Shaq Barrett (6’2) — Undrafted to Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion
• Darren Sproles (5’6) — the blueprint, the most productive all-purpose weapon in football history.
• Christian McCaffrey (listed 5’11, once labeled “not a power back”) is an offensive weapon—runner, receiver, matchup nightmare, and offensive centerpiece.
• Deuce Vaughn (5’5) —  Labeled “too small” coming out of high school, Ignored by most Power Five schools, dominated college football
• Austin Ekeler (5’10) — underrecruited to elite, the  NFL’s most efficient and dangerous dual-threat backs.
• Tyreek Hill (5’10) — Once labeled undersized, speed changes everything, now one of the most feared weapons in football
• Steve Smith Sr. (5’9) — Built a Hall-of-Fame-level career on toughness and separation
• Antonio Brown (5’10) — From overlooked recruit to generational production
• Julian Edelman (5’10) — College quarterback turned Super Bowl MVP

Efficiency beats size when space is the battlefield.

What this means for under-recruited athletes

If you’re an athlete without stars, offers, or hype, this moment matters. Because football is finally aligning with a truth that under-recruited players have always lived:

• You don’t need to be perfect
• You need to be valuable
• You need to fit something
• And you need an opportunity

That opportunity might come later.
It might come at a different level.
It might come through development, patience, and resilience.

But it does come.

The real lesson for coaches

The next edge in recruiting won’t come from chasing rankings.

It will come from:

• identifying traits that fit your system
• trusting film over frame
• valuing urgency and coachability
• digging deeper than consensus

Because sometimes the most impactful player on the field isn’t the biggest name on signing day. Sometimes, he’s the 5’10 lineman no one expected—the scatback no one prioritized—or the under-recruited athlete who just needed a stage.

Hope still has a place in football

The Navy defensive lineman Landon Robinson dominating Shrine Bowl practices isn’t just making a name for himself, because he been excelling on defense his entire college career:

• First-Team All-American
• First Navy player to be named an All-American in 40 years
• American Conference Defensive Player of the Year
• Named to Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List three times in his career, ranked #13 in 2025.

He’s carrying a message. Heart and drive always rise when given opportunity. For every under-recruited athlete still grinding without attention, football is quietly sending a reminder – Your story isn’t over. It might just be getting started.