WVU DC Zac Alley Demands More from Star Player: ‘Be a Dude’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley isn’t afraid to challenge his players, and that currently includes calling out a player who has yet to live up to the hype that surrounded his arrival in Morgantown.

After pointing to the missed tackles as the main reason for the defense’s recent struggles, he made it clear he expects more from certain players, most notably defensive lineman Jimmori Robinson.

Robinson had to claim a legal victory over the NCAA to even get on the field as a Mountaineer, but West Virginia has yet to claim a win as a team since he made his debut on the road at Kansas. Ever since then, Robinson has yet to make any significant impact.

In three games, the redshirt senior who spent the four previous years at UTSA, has registered only two total tackles – one solo and one as an assist.

And while the expectations for how much immediate havoc Robinson could cause were probably unreasonable to an extent, Alley let it to be known it’s not just the fans who expect more from him. Alley does too. He also knows the potential is there.

“We need Jimmori [Robinson] to come up on the edge and be a dude,” said Alley as West Virginia heads into a trip to Florida to take on UCF coming off their first bye week.

WVU DC Zac Alley: "We need Jimmori (Robinson) to come up on the edge and be a dude."

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) October 14, 2025

Maybe the extra week of preparation will help to unlock Robindon, a player some nationally even predicted could be one of the top defensive players in the entire Big 12 entering the season. Either way, Alley knows Robinson has more in him.

Robinson began his career at Dodge City Community College in 2019, spending two seasons at the JUCO level before transferring to UTSA.

Robinson honed his craft during those four years in San Antonio, picking up 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2023 before breaking out last season, dropping opposing quarterbacks in the backfield 10.5 times. He also added 17 tackles for loss.

Find more coverage of Jimmori Robinson and the  WVU football program at WV Sports Now.