After an offseason that brought 40 incoming transfers to Happy Valley, Penn State football receiver Zay Robinson was the one who literally set the tone for the 2026 season.

The redshirt freshman was the first Nittany Lion to touch the ball in 2026, returning the opening kickoff against Marshall for 34 yards.

In addition to the explosive kick return, he corralled three more punts for 31 yards. But Robinson’s impact went beyond special teams, as he hauled in his lone target for a 39-yard touchdown strike from Rocco Becht in the third quarter.

Something about Rocco Becht and throwing it over the middle, man.
pic.twitter.com/CWFeW9LSbl

— Onward State (@OnwardState) September 5, 2026

In Week 2 against Temple, Robinson played just six offensive snaps, yet reeled in three passes for 34 yards.

In a receiving room that features Koby Howard, Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen, plus tight ends Andrew Rappleyea and Benjamin Brahmer, Robinson finds himself towards the back of the pecking order. That kind of depth is a great problem to have, and Matt Campbell has repeatedly emphasized that “there’s only one ball,” and he doesn’t want to stray from selfless football centered on hunting a defense’s weak points.

“When you have a quarterback that you trust, the ball is going to go where it’s supposed to go. You may want to try to get it to somebody, but sometimes the coverage doesn’t dictate that,” Campbell said. “We’re always trying to create the best matchups we possibly can for our playmakers.”

But even without the expected volume of a starting receiver, Robinson has made his presence felt early on with 167 all-purpose yards, a testament to his preparation.

“Those six snaps, it might come, it might not come, but I just got to be ready,” Robinson said. “That goes with my process throughout the week: nutrition, getting my sleep, doing all the little things so I can be ready for those moments when they come.”

Robinson transferred to Penn State after spending one season with the Cyclones, where he caught just one pass in three games. Despite being largely unproven statistically, the Des Moines, Iowa, native has no shortage of confidence, a trait some initially saw as overzealous.

“When I first got to Iowa State, I didn’t like him a lot. He was loud. He would talk a lot and tell us what he’s gonna do, this or that, and then he would get out there and do it,” said Sowell of Robinson. “It was kind of like one of those [where] you look at somebody and don’t judge a book by its cover.”

He credits that talk-the-talk, walk-the-walk attitude to both his Mother and Grandmother, the latter of whom saw him score his first-ever college touchdown in front of an electric Beaver Stadium crowd.

“She told me it was really loud, something she’s never seen before. So it was just really nice to see her really happy out there,” he said.

Family is of the utmost importance to Robinson, so much so that it was the main reason he followed Campbell and his staff to Penn State.

Robinson shared that Campbell invested in his off-field development as a man while also consistently checking in on his loved ones.

“They cared more about my family than any coaching staff I’ve ever been around. They cared a lot about my little brother, seeing how he was all the time, making sure my grandma was okay.”

Now, a couple of months into his career with the blue & white, Robinson has taken a supportive role in the locker room, even as a redshirt freshman.

“The biggest thing that I see is his energy, like it’s infectious,” said Sowell. “He’s always dancing. He’s always hype. He’s always hype for us when we make a play. The way he’s went about it this fall camp, this first couple games, like just taking the extra steps of being a pro and what it takes to come out on Saturday and have a great game.”

The 5-foot-11, 186-pounder doesn’t only dance in the locker room. His twitchy, start-and-stop explosiveness off the line of scrimmage mimics something of a Cha Cha.

“He’s a fast, real shifty guy,” said cornerback Daryus Dixson. “He can give you a little dancing at the line, but you gotta stay real patient with him because he has a motor just to stop and go.”

Where did he develop that ability to scoot around? The basketball court.

Robinson won back-to-back Class 4A state basketball championships in 2023 and 2024 with West Des Moines Valley.

Now, those components of lateral movement and verticality have translated to the gridiron, aiding his ability to affect multiple facets of the game as an offensive weapon and returner. But just as important is Robinson’s palpable aura of energy and some legitimate dance moves, which make him an all-around piece for a Nittany Lions roster constantly striving for improvement.