Arkansas senior cornerback Marquise Robinson missed a handful of practices earlier in fall camp, but he returned as a first team cornerback and he's pushing to start in what's turned into a deep secondary group for head coach Sam Pittman's squad.
A transfer from South Alabama, Robinson was sidelined with a concussion for roughly six practices, but he returned Monday at cornerback with the first team defense during the team's fastball period that reporters viewed.
VIDEO: Rashod Dubinion, Marquise Robinson fall camp press conference
Robinson was a first team corner multiple times throughout this week, and though that's not necessarily a sign he's a starter, it is a sign that the coaching staff is challenging him.
"I try to be updated on everything," Robinson said. "Even when I’m out, I try to support my teammates the best I can. I’m pretty sure y’all probably saw that video on Twitter of me dancing when my teammate made the play, but that’s just me every day.
"I support my teammates when I’m not on the field, when I’m on the field, so when I was out there with the ones, I was like, ‘okay, I just got to step up and be a leader, so even when I’m not in the game, support whoever is in there for me’. That’s how I approached that."
As a junior last season at South Alabama, Robinson logged 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery across 13 total game. Prior to his time with the Jaguars, Robinson spent the 2021 season as a freshman at Southwest Mississippi Community College.
WATCH: Video from Arkansas' 16th practice of fall camp
"I kind of left South Alabama to just expand my horizon," Robinson said. "To just get, 'OK, he's done played in the G5. Now, let's see what he can do against the big dogs.' Because everywhere I went, I was the underdog, that was every school I went to.
"So, just when I heard Arkansas, I was like, 'Man.' I met Coach (Travis Williams), Coach (Deron) Wilson, Coach (Marcus) Woodson. I'm like, 'Yo, they're family-(oriented), and I'm a family-oriented person. So, once I saw that, I was like, 'Yeah, we're going to make something happen.'"
In defensive coordinator Travis Williams' first year with the Razorbacks last season, the team improved to 32nd nationally in pass defense by allowing 202.8 yards per game through the air.
Co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson and secondary coach Deron Wilson were also key pieces to that turnaround from ranking 131st nationally in the same category during the 2022 season.
"We learn something new every day, and our coaches do a really good job of just explaining the small thing to just make us understand, 'This is how we're going to do things,'" Robinson said. "So, it's been coming along real well."
A product of Wilkinson County High School in Crosby, Mississippi, Robinson has had to take a tougher route to the Southeastern Conference than most. He said learning how to practice at this level is something he's improved on.
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"I just learned that I’ve got to learn how to practice now," Robinson said. "In JUCO it was come every day ready to work. Everything’s going to be hard every day. So, one I got to D1 and all the professional people telling me ‘You’ve got to practice this way and practice that way,’ I’d say that was the only thing. And that was an easy transition because in JUCO everything was hard. All we knew was ‘work hard, work hard.’
"My coaches tell me to this day they try to teach me how to slow down because I’m going to work hard in everything I do. They still teach me, like practice like a pro. I know how to practice like a pro. It’s just I’ve got that edge on me, that fire on my shoulder, that chip that’s just stuck there from JUCO."
Arkansas will return to the practice field Saturday in preparation for the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
