It was always a matter of when, not if, with Nebraska true freshman Wan'Dale Robinson.

Saturday, we found out the 'when' as Robinson broke out to help the Huskers escape Champaign with a 42-38 win over Illinois. It’s Robinson who scored the Huskers’ game-winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and it’s Robinson, with a 27-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, who re-energized a sluggish Nebraska offense.

Just look at this open-field juke.

On a night Nebraska needed every point, their all-purpose threat showed up in a huge way. Robinson finished the evening with 19 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. That would be good on its own, but Robinson also caught eight passes for 79 yards and a pair of scores.

Robinson, the No. 1 all-purpose back in the 2019 class, finished the night with more total yards (168) than he earned in his first three career games (146). That massive evening is why Robinson is the 247Sports True Freshman of the Week.

“We got one there,” Nebraska head coach Scott Frost said to reporters Saturday. “We got a real guy there. Not just from a talent perspective, but from a heart perspective. He wanted the ball. He wanted to take over that game and in a lot of ways he did. I'm glad he's wearing scarlet and cream.”

Robinson’s breakout came in the second half when he took over as the Huskers’ workhorse after starting running back Maurice Washington went to the locker room with an injury. Most of Robinson’s spectacular plays took place in the open field, but he had a pair of gritty second-half touchdown runs along the goal line that helped put the Huskers ahead for good.

It’s hard to truly define Robinson’s role. He’s listed as a receiver on the team’s roster but splits his time in practice between the wide receivers and running backs. That versatility is part of what makes him one of the most intriguing weapons in the country.

Robinson is probably the closest thing to Rondale Moore from the 2019 class.

The Frankfort, Kentucky native – the same state Moore hails from – ranked as the No. 87 overall player in the 2019 class per the 247Sports Composite. The Top247 slotted Robinson even higher at No. 40 nationally. Robinson, an All-American Bowl participant, put up silly high school statistics. He ran for 1,973 yards as a senior, had 725 yards receiving with 41 total touchdowns.

Previous True Freshmen of the Week

Week 1: Hank Bachmeier, QB, Boise State

Week 2: Kedon Slovis, QB, USC

Week 3: George Pickens/Dominick Blaylock, WR, Georgia