Thompson-Robinson's time is now as Gorman starting QB

DOWNEY, Calif. — Dorian Thompson-Robinson admits he seriously considered leaving powerhouse Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.

It would have been understandable. He was a star 2018 quarterback who happened to be sitting behind a star 2017 quarterback — four-star Ohio State signee Tate Martell. There just was not an opportunity to play much.

He talked to his mother about going somewhere else. They discussed the pros and cons. But it just never felt right for Thompson-Robinson to leave his guys behind.

“My first thought was to leave and then my mom and I talked about it and we knew I’d have my senior year,” Thompson-Robinson said at the adidas 7v7 West Coast Invitational. “I already had an offer my freshman year, so it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to go to college or anything like that.

“When I talk to college coaches, they always mention how big of a factor that was that I did stay and how most kids do leave, so they really liked that about me.”

The four-star stayed at Gorman and moved to wide receiver for his junior season. It was fun. It was exciting. Thompson-Robinson was a huge contributor, caught eight TD passes en route to another undefeated season and he saw his recruitment take off.

He now has nearly 30 offers.

“Playing receiver this past year was kind of like going back to my youth days just being the athlete for the team, just going out there and doing me,” Thompson-Robinson said. “It was fun. I definitely enjoyed it and got to spend my last year with the seniors.”

Without playing his primary position and only throwing three touchdowns basically in mop-up time this past season, the offers still poured in. After performing so well at the adidas tournament this past weekend – zipping the ball over the field and proving to be one of the nation’s best quarterbacks – Alabama and Texas offered.

“It was big (staying at Gorman),” Thompson-Robinson said. “My mom always taught me to push through and grind through it, so staying was like second nature to me.”

So, it seems, is playing quarterback.

The seasoning and the game experience might not be there yet, but Thompson-Robinson’s leadership is sure evident.

Gorman’s 702 Elite 7-on-7 team was late getting to the tournament last weekend because its bus was stuck in traffic coming from Las Vegas after terrible storms washed out roadways.

Its first game was delayed about 10 minutes as 702 Elite slipped into their uniforms. They didn’t warm up. But there was Thompson-Robinson, orchestrating numerous touchdown drives, calling his own plays (much like Martell did last season) and looking as sharp as ever. He looked completely comfortable.

So where does he end up?

Rated as the second-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2018 class, Thompson-Robinson has a long-standing relationship with UCLA’s coaching staff and he knows new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch well from when Fisch was recruiting Thompson-Robinson to Michigan while on the Wolverines staff.

The Bruins are definitely a frontrunner in his recruitment

“I’m going to take a visit (to UCLA) March 11 and that’s pretty much the only visit I have right now,” Thompson-Robinson said.

“That’s big (knowing Fisch) especially with the relationship I already have and the one we’re building right now. He’s telling me he wants to build a class around me, so that’s something I really want.”

Michigan, Miami, LSU, Colorado, Arizona and others were mentioned as schools of interest by Thompson-Robinson, who said he planned to make a decision sometime between April and July.

The four-star said he would like to visit Michigan, Miami, Florida State and possibly North Carolina before making a decision. All those programs were discussed prior to him landing the Alabama and Texas offers, so those could be in play as well.

This past weekend wasn’t about recruiting. It was about making a statement that Gorman is not falling off. Thompson-Robinson is a big reason why.

As the four-star quarterback was firing passes into tight windows and accurately bombing the ball deep to open receivers, looking like one of the nation’s best, three guys near the Gorman sideline were laughing it up at the absurdity of Thompson-Robinson’s domination.

One asked. “Who is that guy?”

He could be the next big thing.