Colin Wilson to Louisville: Cardinals Land 4-Star RB Prospect

The prominence of elite running backs in college football continues to grow, with Colin Wilson giving his commitment to Louisville on Wednesday.  

Wilson announced his commitment to the Cardinals on Twitter, via Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal.

The 4-star prospect is built like a workhorse back already, standing at 6'0" and 209 pounds. He's the nation's No. 15 running back recruit, the No. 2 running back in the state of Florida and the No. 156 overall recruit in the class of 2017, according to Scout. 

The Clay High School star from Green Cove Springs, Florida, was attracting a lot of attention from powerhouse programs early in his recruiting process, with Florida, Auburn, Clemson and Alabama all making scholarship offers. 

Scouting reports rave about Wilson's ability to carry an offense if asked, with ESPN.com's Recruiting Nation being particularly high on his speed and vision: "Possesses good size, strength and the speed to get the corner. Possesses excellent vision between the tackles and at the second level. Tough runner with good balance and pad level that can run over and through defenders. Has a bit of wiggle and can make defenders miss in space."

Per ESPN.com's report, the one knock against Wilson is that he's not yet proved himself to be a three-down back. His receiving and blocking skills still need refinement, which does hurt his present performance. However, he can correct that in time to give himself a huge ceiling. 

Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino continues to do a fantastic job of adding high-impact talent. The Cardinals are in the midst of a stellar season with quarterback Lamar Jackson on the short list of Heisman Trophy contenders. 

Per Scout, Wilson's commitment has moved Louisville's 2017 recruiting class up to No. 23 in the nation with 21 prospects rated as 3-stars or better. He is also the highest-ranked prospect the school has brought in for next year to this point. 

The Cardinals are in the midst of their best season since 2013. Petrino's ability to capitalize on that success will allow this program to remain among the ACC's elite for a long time to come. 

Football has evolved into a pass-first game, but college teams can still succeed with a run-first offense. Alabama has never had a dynamic passing attack under head coach Nick Saban, yet two Heisman Trophy-winning running backs have helped that program win four national titles since 2009. 

Wilson is the kind of unique talent in the backfield who has the speed and power to carry an offense on his own with or without a dynamic passing game.