Four-star linebacker Raylen Wilson may be committed to the University of Michigan, but that isn’t stopping Billy Napier and the Florida Gators from trying to keep the Tallahassee recruit to stay in-state.
Wilson was one of the many recruits that visited the Swamp on Tuesday, March 15, and he came away impressed with the new staff and academic facilities, according to 247Sports. Inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, defensive analyst Jamar Chaney and Napier were the main coaches involved in Wilson’s visit, but he spent time with most of the staff while on campus.
“When they were introducing themselves, it made me feel like they were genuine,” Wilson said. “(Their message) was they really don’t want me to go all the way to Michigan to play ball.”
After the Wolverines lost defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the Baltimore Ravens, Wilson decided to take a look at his other options. He remains firm in his commitment to Michigan right now but says that Florida and Georgia are best positioned to land him if something changes.
“They are in the picture as of now,” he said. “If I was to de-commit from Michigan, or if anything happened with Michigan, they would definitely be in the race.”
A June visit to Ann Arbor should provide some clarity on Wilson’s position with UM. He’s since talked to the Wolverines’ new defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, and been reassured that the scheme won’t be changing enough to affect his role on the team.
At Florida, Wilson knows that he would have a good chance to play early as Florida lacks a dominant third-down linebacker with enough versatility to be thrown anywhere on the field. He got a chance to see where he’d fit in with the defense as he sat in on a linebackers meeting before practice.
Napier has focused on in-state recruits early in the cycle. Wilson is one of the best in Florida. He’s ranked No. 13 in the state on the 247Sports composite and No. 68 overall. Stealing a top 100 recruit from a program that just made the College Football Playoff would be a very good look for the new staff.
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