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Florida State wide receiver Duce Robinson was named to the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list on Tuesday, adding another community service and athletic recognition to his extensive preseason resume according to program announcements. Awarded annually by the Wuerffel Foundation, the honor recognizes college football players who best combine community service with leadership and athletic achievement on and off the field.
Robinson is one of 113 players selected for the preliminary watch list according to 247Sports. The Phoenix native has maintained a steady presence in the Tallahassee community since arriving at Florida State, balancing rigorous academic and athletic schedules with volunteer initiatives.
Community Service and Humanitarian Work in Tallahassee
Robinson’s off-the-field contributions earned him the Bill McGrotha Award following the 2025 season and a nomination for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team according to Yahoo Sports. Last month, he raised over $10,000 for Special Olympics of Florida by hosting the Duce Robinson Charity Pickleball Classic.
“I’ve always felt a kinship to the Special Olympics,” Robinson said in July at the ACC Kickoff event reported by 247Sports. “Since high school, a lot of our managers had been part of the Special Olympics and I know how much sports means to them. Seeing that, growing up around that, made me close to it.”
Beyond his work with the Special Olympics, Robinson participates in Next Level Flag Football, a local program serving children up through seventh grade to teach athletic skills and build an early passion for sports. His other community engagements in the area include:
- Participating in Literacy Week at Astoria Park Elementary in January.
- Partnering with the Keep Climbing Family Foundation to host a winter coat drive at Astoria Park.
- Donating and distributing Thanksgiving turkeys alongside former Seminole Micah Pettus and Legends Hospitality.
- Serving as a panelist for Horizons Unlimited, speaking to first-generation students during a seminar titled “Success through Adversity: Strategies through Athletics.”
- Representing the university during FSU Day at the Capitol.
Athletic and Academic Accomplishments
On the gridiron, Robinson enters the season carrying high expectations following a standout 2025 campaign. He hauled in 56 catches for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC honors, a third-team All-America selection, and a spot as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award according to Yahoo Sports data.
His performance ranked him ninth nationally in receiving yards after the regular season, while his five games with at least 120 receiving yards led all Power Four players and marked the highest total at Florida State since 2014. He also led the ACC during the regular season with 17 receptions of 20 yards or more, 12 catches of 30-plus yards, and six grabs over 40 yards.
In addition to his athletic and service accolades, Robinson excelled in the classroom by becoming Florida State’s first first-team Academic All-American since 2012, marking just the ninth time a Seminole football player earned the distinction in program history.
Preseason Honors and Watch Lists
The Wuerffel Trophy watch list is the latest in a string of recognitions for the senior receiver ahead of the 2026 season. His preseason accumulation includes:
- July 20: Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee
- July 29: Preseason All-ACC selection
- August 3: Maxwell Award Watch List placement
- August 6: Sporting News Preseason All-American Second Team
- August 11: Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List inclusion
Should Robinson win the award, he would follow former Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons, who captured the honor in 2022 as the program’s only previous winner according to Yahoo Sports. In September, the field of 113 players will be narrowed when 11 student-athletes from the watch list are named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and advance as official semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy.
Robinson and the Seminoles are scheduled to kick off their 2026 campaign on August 29 at 7:00 p.m. against New Mexico State at Doak Campbell Stadium according to 247Sports.
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