In the aftermath of Rutgers’ 1-11 campaign last December, the Scarlet Knights coaching staff set out on a quest to add taller pass catchers to their wide receivers unit.

They landed two on the recruiting trail, but it turns out the NFL-sized receiver who might end up making the biggest impact this fall was on the roster all along.

“We made an emphasis on going out and trying to get a little bigger on the outside, and it’s crazy we had a (bigger wide receiver) sitting in our (locker room) right now,’’ Rutgers wide receivers coach Lester Erb said. “We just moved (him) out (to wide receiver) and he’s really grown into the position.’’

Erb was referring to Daevon Robinson, a 6-foor-3, 220-pounder out of Shawnee High School who spent his freshman campaign last fall playing tight end.

“Daevon has been good,’’ Erb said. “Daevon’s a big guy obviously. He can run. He has tremendous ball skills. The biggest transition he has made from moving an inside receiver (at tight end) to the outside … but Daevon is a football player. He’s creating some great competition out there.’’

Robinson’s knack for leaping over shorter defensive backs has been on display throughout spring camp. As the offense he directed struggled to stretch defenses and rack up big plays, Rutgers offensive coordinator John McNulty last fall talked about the need for receivers to beat out cornerbacks by coming down with 50-50 balls.

“Last year we didn’t make that many plays on the ball,’’ said Robinson, a former North Carolina State commit who reportedly held scholarship offers from a dozen schools, including Baylor, Boston College, Connecticut, Kent State, Massachusetts, Old Dominion, Temple, UCF, Virginia and Virginia Tech. “Our emphasis this year was to make as many plays as possible. So the quarterbacks in spring ball are definitely trying to give all the receivers chances to make plays on the ball.’’

Can Robinson be the big-play receiver McNulty seeks one year after he recorded eight receptions for 62 yards while playing tight end?

“Definitely,’’ said Robinson, who tallied 74 receptions, 902 yards and eight touchdowns over his final two scholastic campaigns. “If the opportunity is there I’m going to take it. But everyone in our room has the opportunity to be star wide receivers. We just have to trust the offense and we’ll be good.’’

While Rutgers has an unusual amount of wide-receiver depth (16 on the roster) and a scarcity of tight ends (5) this spring, Robinson said he approached the coaching staff about moving back to his natural position during the winter.

“After the season I felt like tight end, it’s a great position but it wasn’t something that will help me get farther in my (potential) NFL career,’’ Robinson said. “I played wide receiver in high school and I felt like I could do a good job and help us make some plays on the field.’’

He’s doing just that, according to Rutgers coach Chris Ash, who said Robinson is “doing a really good job’’ as an outside receiver.

“Last year we were really asking him to (play a position) he’s never done before,’’ Ash said. “He’s a big-body receiver, he’s got great ball radius, he can go up and get the ball. He’s got long arms, he can run routes, he’s got good speed. So he’s right now probably our most consistent guy out here. We saw signs last year that he’s got good ball skills and can be a good receiver.’’

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.