The next thing is the speed. He ran track for two years at Fort Pierce Westwood High before transferring to IMG Academy and focusing on football full time, but he never lost that speed. He’s got both the “quick” and “fast” attributes, meaning he can hit his top speed immediately and change directions on a dime. Get him running downhill, and he’s going to be a major problem with that aforementioned physicality he brings. He’s also got tremendous range, and can make plays from sideline to sideline.
Then there’s the intelligence. This trait is harder to pick up on highlight films because, well, kids aren’t going to show plays where they look dumb, but various people who have watched him on a consistent basis all say he plays with a high football IQ. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins and a personal contact of mine at IMG both say that his brain is a major asset, with the latter telling me that “his play-recognition is off the charts.” He does his homework in the film room and can get a great read on what play is likely coming based on the formation and any possible pre-snap motion, and he can further diagnose the play based on how both the receivers and the linemen pop out of their stances.
And last but not least, there’s his versatility. He’s at his best coming up toward the line and stopping the run (and makes a lot of TFLs for a safety) but is also highly effective if you give him a zone coverage assignment; his ball skills and speed along with his play-recognition abilities make him far from a liability, and in fact an outright strength, regardless of if the offense is running or throwing the ball. And though scouts warn that he’s not exceptional in man coverage against tight ends, he’s still above average in that department.
“Put it this way,” my contact at IMG Academy told me. “Hypothetically speaking, if you just drop him into the starting lineup for Florida’s bowl game next week, he’ll be just as good if not better than anybody we saw Florida roll out there at safety last year. That’s without knowing the plays. He’s that talented and smart. So yes, he’s college-ready now. Give him time to grow and learn the speed and nuances of the college game, and he’s as logical an All-American pick as any.”
Translation: the Florida Gators got an absolute baller in Kamari Wilson as the crown jewel of a tremendous Signing Day for Billy Napier and his staff. With proper coaching and offseason development- two things that I have no reason to believe will not take place- Kamari Wilson is a guy that I’m expecting to play early, often, and before too long, spectacularly well.
Although he may need a little bit of time to fully adapt to the speed of SEC football, Kamari Wilson is the caliber of player that can be dropped into an elite program, go through spring ball, and become an instant-impact playmaker on Labor Day weekend.
You can watch his high school highlights here.
The first thing that pops off the screen is his physicality. Right away, you can see that the kid loves the act of making contact with opponents, and he loves to bring them to the ground. Some players just do this because they have to and because it’s part of the game; Kamari Wilson genuinely enjoys the act of tackling. Because of that love for the act of tackling, and because he’s fast and very technically sound, he’s as sure of a tackler as you could ever ask for.
The next thing is the speed. He ran track for two years at Fort Pierce Westwood High before transferring to IMG Academy and focusing on football full time, but he never lost that speed. He’s got both the “quick” and “fast” attributes, meaning he can hit his top speed immediately and change directions on a dime. Get him running downhill, and he’s going to be a major problem with that aforementioned physicality he brings. He’s also got tremendous range, and can make plays from sideline to sideline.
Then there’s the intelligence. This trait is harder to pick up on highlight films because, well, kids aren’t going to show plays where they look dumb, but various people who have watched him on a consistent basis all say he plays with a high football IQ. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins and a personal contact of mine at IMG both say that his brain is a major asset, with the latter telling me that “his play-recognition is off the charts.” He does his homework in the film room and can get a great read on what play is likely coming based on the formation and any possible pre-snap motion, and he can further diagnose the play based on how both the receivers and the linemen pop out of their stances.
And last but not least, there’s his versatility. He’s at his best coming up toward the line and stopping the run (and makes a lot of TFLs for a safety) but is also highly effective if you give him a zone coverage assignment; his ball skills and speed along with his play-recognition abilities make him far from a liability, and in fact an outright strength, regardless of if the offense is running or throwing the ball. And though scouts warn that he’s not exceptional in man coverage against tight ends, he’s still above average in that department.
“Put it this way,” my contact at IMG Academy told me. “Hypothetically speaking, if you just drop him into the starting lineup for Florida’s bowl game next week, he’ll be just as good if not better than anybody we saw Florida roll out there at safety last year. That’s without knowing the plays. He’s that talented and smart. So yes, he’s college-ready now. Give him time to grow and learn the speed and nuances of the college game, and he’s as logical an All-American pick as any.”
Translation: the Florida Gators got an absolute baller in Kamari Wilson as the crown jewel of a tremendous Signing Day for Billy Napier and his staff. With proper coaching and offseason development- two things that I have no reason to believe will not take place- Kamari Wilson is a guy that I’m expecting to play early, often, and before too long, spectacularly well.
Photo via Kamari Wilson
Yesterday, Kamari Wilson made waves throughout the recruiting world when he decommitted from Georgia and flipped to Florida on Signing Day.
Yes, there’s an element of head-to-head victory for Gator fans, who can now boast to Georgia fans about how they are now a real threat to take kids away from Athens that Kirby Smart really wants. But for Billy Napier and Florida, the win extends far beyond that.
Although he may need a little bit of time to fully adapt to the speed of SEC football, Kamari Wilson is the caliber of player that can be dropped into an elite program, go through spring ball, and become an instant-impact playmaker on Labor Day weekend.
You can watch his high school highlights here.
The first thing that pops off the screen is his physicality. Right away, you can see that the kid loves the act of making contact with opponents, and he loves to bring them to the ground. Some players just do this because they have to and because it’s part of the game; Kamari Wilson genuinely enjoys the act of tackling. Because of that love for the act of tackling, and because he’s fast and very technically sound, he’s as sure of a tackler as you could ever ask for.
The next thing is the speed. He ran track for two years at Fort Pierce Westwood High before transferring to IMG Academy and focusing on football full time, but he never lost that speed. He’s got both the “quick” and “fast” attributes, meaning he can hit his top speed immediately and change directions on a dime. Get him running downhill, and he’s going to be a major problem with that aforementioned physicality he brings. He’s also got tremendous range, and can make plays from sideline to sideline.
Then there’s the intelligence. This trait is harder to pick up on highlight films because, well, kids aren’t going to show plays where they look dumb, but various people who have watched him on a consistent basis all say he plays with a high football IQ. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins and a personal contact of mine at IMG both say that his brain is a major asset, with the latter telling me that “his play-recognition is off the charts.” He does his homework in the film room and can get a great read on what play is likely coming based on the formation and any possible pre-snap motion, and he can further diagnose the play based on how both the receivers and the linemen pop out of their stances.
And last but not least, there’s his versatility. He’s at his best coming up toward the line and stopping the run (and makes a lot of TFLs for a safety) but is also highly effective if you give him a zone coverage assignment; his ball skills and speed along with his play-recognition abilities make him far from a liability, and in fact an outright strength, regardless of if the offense is running or throwing the ball. And though scouts warn that he’s not exceptional in man coverage against tight ends, he’s still above average in that department.
“Put it this way,” my contact at IMG Academy told me. “Hypothetically speaking, if you just drop him into the starting lineup for Florida’s bowl game next week, he’ll be just as good if not better than anybody we saw Florida roll out there at safety last year. That’s without knowing the plays. He’s that talented and smart. So yes, he’s college-ready now. Give him time to grow and learn the speed and nuances of the college game, and he’s as logical an All-American pick as any.”
Translation: the Florida Gators got an absolute baller in Kamari Wilson as the crown jewel of a tremendous Signing Day for Billy Napier and his staff. With proper coaching and offseason development- two things that I have no reason to believe will not take place- Kamari Wilson is a guy that I’m expecting to play early, often, and before too long, spectacularly well.
