Lyndell Wilson Announces Decision Date: Odds on Where 5-Star LB Lands
Lauded Alabama linebacker Lyndell "Mack" Wilson is prepared to finalize his collegiate intentions.
The 5-star prospect revealed upcoming commitment plans on Sunday night, setting the stage for a Dec. 4 announcement. Wilson, who will unveil five finalists on Dec. 1, previously expressed plans to wait until national signing day for any public pledge.
As displayed in a picture he tweeted on Sunday evening, Wilson has plenty of college programs to consider:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
"Releasing Final 5 schools Dec 1st. After talking it over with my mother I will be committing Dec 4th. #Blessed pic.twitter.com/rl2l7cnC6u
— ✌️ (@Iam__MW3) November 30, 2015"
The 6'2", 220-pound playmaker, rated No. 1 among outside linebackers and No. 12 overall in the 2016 recruiting class, carries an expansive list of scholarship offers. He released a top eight in October, identifying Florida, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida State, USC, Oregon and Ohio State as favorites.
Wilson was named a Butkus Award finalist earlier this month, placing him among five contenders for honors as America's top high school linebacker. He tallied 115 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions in 10 games as a senior at Carver High School, according to Drew Champlin of AL.com.
Rangy and athletic enough to play any linebacker position, Wilson exhibits the skills as an all-around defender to eventually warrant every-down duties in a college defensive scheme.
While several coaching staffs would be thrilled to secure his commitment, this pursuit appears to center around a select few. Here's a closer look at some of Wilson's perceived primary contenders and their likelihood of landing the dominant defender.
Florida: 2-1
The Gators landed atop Wilson's favorites list earlier this season, and that was well before Florida surprisingly secured a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Head coach Jim McElwain and his staff have spearheaded an impressive turnaround in Gainesville, resulting in increased success with key recruits.
McElwain landed a pledge from 4-star quarterback Feleipe Franks, a former LSU commit, this past weekend. Perhaps more notable when it comes to Wilson, the Gators also added fellow Montgomery, Alabama, product Jeawon Taylor to the mix in August.
The 4-star defensive back is friends with Wilson, while Carver teammate Antonio Nelson joined Florida's class earlier this month. Strong rapports are in place not only with the Gators coaching staff but also the top-10 recruiting class it's assembled.
"It's just a great school overall," Wilson told Champlin in mid-October. "I like how they get after people. When they're down, they don't quit or hold their heads. I don't want to put it as they're my No. 1 because they're winning. They have a great coaching staff and great players."
Florida claims the past five consecutive experts' predictions in his 247Sports Crystal Ball.
Alabama: 5-2
The Crimson Tide have been a constant presence in this recruitment, treating the in-state prospect like a coveted commodity throughout. Alabama leads Wilson's 247Sports Crystal Ball with 81 percent of experts' predictions, but an overwhelming majority of those projections were placed well before his senior year.
Alabama is attempting to sign the nation's No. 1 recruits at outside and inside linebacker in Wilson and Crimson Tide legacy Ben Davis, respectively.
The Tide are favored to sign Davis by 100 percent of experts' predictions in his Crystal Ball, and the fellow 5-star has repeatedly shown excitement about the possibility of pairing up with Wilson for years to come.
Wilson traveled to Tuscaloosa earlier this month for Alabama's victory over LSU. A pregame chat with Alabama head coach Nick Saban helped put things further in perspective.
"He was talking about how he felt I had a great season at middle linebacker and how I could come play right away at any linebacker spot," Wilson told Champlin. "He said he really wants me there and is going to keep recruiting me as hard as he can to get me to come to Alabama."
Even if Alabama isn't the choice on Friday, don't be shocked if the Crimson Tide creep back into the mix before national signing day.
Wilson is a top priority for a program that hates to lose top talent from its home turf.
LSU: 5-1
The final stretch of this recruitment feels like a head-to-head showdown between Alabama and Florida, but Wilson plans to announce five potential landing spots beforehand. We'll give LSU the best shot at crashing this party, though there's certainly some distance between those top two and No. 3 on this list.
The presence of a former Alabama coach helps LSU's cause, along with the conclusion of mounting speculation about head coach Les Miles' job security.
Tigers defensive coordinator Kevin Steele initially targeted Wilson as a Tide assistant and maintained their relationship following his departure to Baton Rouge.
The Tigers have stressed opportunities for immediate playing time to top 2016 linebacker prospects, including both Davis and Wilson. Still, LSU seems to be staring up as underdogs for both coveted recruits.
LSU was rated No. 2 in Wilson's top eight earlier this season and hosted him in October, when he watched the Tigers defeat Florida. His next Baton Rouge trip is most likely to occur in a Crimson Tide or Gators uniform.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
