West Virginia football: Should Kenny Robinson’s XFL path worry fans?

What’s at stake this spring?

There are serious ramifications to Robinson performing well in the XFL.

If Robinson succeeds early on and improves his draft stock, other college football players could take cue and consider this to be a pathway to the NFL. A pathway, this time, that’s viable and does not include finishing a college football career (though NFL rules prohibit a player entering the draft within three years of finishing high school).

It could be players who are not academically inclined whatsoever. It could be players who are struggling financially and/or seek to support their families right away — even if XFL salaries are a paltry average of $55,000. It could simply be players who would join the transfer portal for reasons such as lack of playing time or artistic differences with the coaching stuff. These players could then decide that a true minor league team in the spring would be a better alternative to showcase their abilities to NFL scouts.

In the season opener for both teams last weekend, Robinson tallied three tackles in a 15-9 victory for the St. Louis Battlehawks against the Dallas Renegades.

If Robinson does well, will his chosen XFL route prompt other players to forego their eligibility?

Robinson’s calculated gamble — to play in competitive football games in the months leading up to April’s NFL Draft — could be emulated if he convincingly translates a strong XFL performance into a decent landing spot in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In our society today, we collectively feel the constant “fear of missing out.” If someone’s perceived to have an advantage in preparation, whether it’s a QB camp for 6-year-olds or cupping therapy for NBA players, the rest of us feel like we’re woefully unprepared or that we’re not keeping up with the Joneses. That we will quickly become obsolete or left behind, even.

If the 6-foot-2, 202-pound safety plays his way into the first three rounds of the NFL Draft this spring, college football fans should be uneasy about future NFL prospects seeking an alternative route to the pros instead of finishing their college playing careers.