Amik Robertson re-opens recruitment

An elite defensive back is back on the open market for collegiate suitors – just a month before National Signing Day.

Thibodaux standout Amik Robertson announced on Twitter last week that he was de-committing from Louisiana Tech – a school which held his verbal pledge for the past several months.

Robertson is a three-star prospect, according to most recruiting services.

He holds offers from mid-level programs all across the country.

In his statement, Robertson thanked the Bulldogs for their interest, but said it was time for him to move on and explore other offers.

“I would like to thank La. Tech and the Bulldogs family on believing in my ability to play at their school,” Robertson said, “After talking to my family, I would like to open up my recruitment. I think this is what’s best for me. Thank you.”

The Thibodaux High Standout has offers from all over the country.

Prior to his decommitment, Robertson had plans to take three official visits in upcoming weeks, according to Rivals.com. It has long been speculated by folks around the Tigers program that his commitment to the Bulldogs wasn’t iron-clad, because of recent offers he’d received from bigger programs.

The reason for those offers is because of a dominant six-month stretch for the defensive back – dating back to the past summer.

Before Robertson’s senior season, he actively showcased his abilities at camps around the country, often grading as one of the top defensive backs at each event.

Robertson parlayed that summer into a dominant senior season where he did a little bit of everything for Thibodaux, leading the Tigers to the Class 5A State Playoffs, before suffering a season-ending injury in the final game of the season.

“It would be easier to list a position that Amik doesn’t play for us that it would be to list where he does play,” Thibodaux coach Chris Dugas said during the season. “He does it all. He plays all over the field and in all phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. The thing that we like the most about Amik is that he’s OK with having that role. He wants to have the ball in his hands and he wants to do everything possible to help our team win.”

At the collegiate level, scouts project Robertson to be a defensive back, but some schools are considering a hybrid role for the standout after seeing how well he handled the ball for Thibodaux.

Robertson is undersized, yes, standing just 5-feet, 9-inches and weighing just 165 pounds.

But at camps, he went one-on-one with far larger receivers without issue, because of his quickness, strength and instincts once the ball is in the air.

“None of that stuff really matters to me,” Robertson said in the preseason when asked about people labeling him as undersized. “On the field and on the scoreboard, they don’t keep track of how big or tall someone is. There are a lot of people who they all said was too small and now they’re in the NFL or in college. My job is to just play.”

Robertson plans to visit Houston in the coming weeks. He also had a visit planned to Louisiana Tech. It’s not yet known if he will still take that trip.

Robertson has offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Kansas State, UL-Lafayette, Nicholls, Purdue, Southern Miss and Tulane, among others.

He’s also gotten interest from LSU, Texas, Auburn, Colorado and Utah, among others.

He said he is academically qualified, and will be fully eligible, upon graduation.

MARTIN ADDS TO HIS TALLY OF OFFERS

While Robertson ponders his collegiate future, another prominent local was busy collecting offers from some of the top college football programs in the country.

Ellender receiver Davontavean Martin announced this week that he’d received a scholarship offer from Washington State University – arguably the largest offer yet for the Patriots standout receiver.

In a Twitter post, Martin announced the offer, while thanking Cougars coach Mike Leach for the interest.

Martin now has 17 committable scholarship offers, including one from Virginia – his only other offer from a Power 5 conference.

He was once thought to be a basketball-only recruit and was once committed to UNO for hoops, but he’s now considered to be a football prospect after dominating for the Patriots this past fall. •

Amik Robertson at the Nike Football Combine in New Orleans , LA.

Scott Fink

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