National Signing Day 2017: James Robinson signs with Florida after all

The Florida Gators’ National Signing Day was thought to be coming to a close as we reached the late afternoon hours on Wednesday, with Jim McElwain set to speak to local media at a press conference in the program’s indoor practice facility shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern.

And then Florida announced the signing of James Robinson.

Yes, that’s the same James Robinson that was cited for marijuana possession on an official visit to Ohio State 10 days ago, the same James Robinson Florida dropped with much fanfare on Monday — reportedly due to Florida’s administration intervening after McElwain and his coaches continued recruiting Robinson following reports on that citation — and the same James Robinson who was not projected to sign on National Signing Day as of just a few hours ago.

Instead of all that, he’s now a Gator, with a tweet — featuring a picture that is markedly different from the polished graphics put out for the more than a dozen other Florida signees on the day, suggesting this may have happened in the 58th or 59th minute of the 11th hour — serving as a thunderbolt.

Robinson is a four-star wideout from Lakeland with prodigious athletic talents, and was part of both Nike’s The Opening last summer and the Under Armour All-American Game in January. He is, to put it lightly, a playmaker.

Robinson joins Daquon Green in a two-man class at wide receiver for Florida in the 2017 recruiting cycle, and is Florida’s 23rd commit in the class.