Stopping by to give some thoughts on talented three-star Clear Lake (Texas) DB Mark Wilson, who committed to Houston over the weekend
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From a recruiting standpoint, Wilson had a strong sophomore campaign and good junior year, which led to offers from Houston, Vanderbilt, SMU, Kansas, Baylor, and interest from TCU, Texas, LSU and Texas A&M. Wilson had more spring visit plans, but that was obviously canceled by the coronavirus travel shutdown.
I liked Wilson enough to give him a high three-star grade in our initial 2021 rankings. Like I mentioned before, a little underwhelming as a junior but plenty of positives to take into account.
Analysis:
Wilson is a smaller, thinner safety (6-foot, 170 pounds) that can play multiple roles in the secondary -- a high safety or a nickel in three-, four-DB sets. He certainly has the physical skills to shift out to corner down the road, too.
I like Wilson's ability against the run. He covers a ton of ground in a short period of time, and while we hope to get a verified 40 or track time for him at some point this offseason, on film he plays with a chip on his shoulder and is a force to be reckoned with vs. the run. He's very physical and his HS coaches use him in a multitude of ways to take advantage of that trait -- whether it's run blitzes or coverage blitzes to get Wilson close or at the LOS and attacking ball-carriers and QBs as well.
At safety, Wilson plays well over the top and routinely attacks the ball in mid-air. Shows a lot about his coverage skills at safety or if he were to transition out to CB. In certain plays, at corner, Wilson displays nice hip flexion and the ability to turn-and-run and shadow WR across the field. Very versatile piece.
Great trait for DB is positioning themselves well on the field. Wilson does this often. Smart football player with high on-field IQ.
The only questions we have about Wilson is, of course, his actual speed. It does not seem to be an issue often in coverage or in the return game. Wilson does not burn defenders, but he is dangerous in the open field and that physicality shows in that aspect. So does his vision of the field.
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