Anthony Wilson Jr: Path To The NFL Draft

By Simon Carroll

Football is a complex game. Often described as a ‘violent chess match’, twenty-two players line up and execute one of hundreds of pre-determined plays, making split-second decisions in real time as they comprehend the scheme and formation their opponent brings to each snap. In terms of the mental aspect alone, the ability to adjust and counter is critical to the success of a team – and that’s before we even get to the levels of athleticism and physicality it takes to ensure you’re competitive on gameday.

Yet, when it comes down to it, it’s quite simple; you’re either good enough, or you’re not. And despite what the measurables may say, Anthony Wilson Jr. has proven he belongs on a football field. The tackling machine and former West Virginia safety sits down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:

A Natural Talent

Two months ago, Anthony Wilson stepped off the football field for the final time in his college career. West Virginia had just narrowly lost to Memphis in the Frisco Bowl, the Mountaineers falling 42-37. Wilson’s seven tackles that day took his total tally to 101 that season – the second time in the past three years he has hit triple figures. But it was back in Columbia, South Carolina where the productive safety got his passion for the game, a young child who would find his way on to the gridiron whenever he could:

“I started playing football when I was five years old. My parents were big on sports, and kept me in them all the way through my childhood. Football was ultimately what I fell in love with; I would play it every opportunity I could find. 

Family would come to be a big influence on Wilson’s decision making as his career developed. But back then, football to him was more than a game; for Wilson it was life. He would enjoy success on the football field with two different high schools – and it became apparent that his aptitude for the game could lead him to bigger and better things:

“I played at Hammond for two years – eighth and ninth grade – and had a real good time at that school. We won a state championship there before I transferred to Spring Valley High. Back then, there wasn’t any thought of college or NFL, it was all about the love for the game really. But as I continued to play, show what I could do on both sides of the ball, I understood what football could do for me if I put everything into it.”

Settling On Statesboro

What Anthony Wilson could do, it turned out, was pretty impressive. Balling out at Spring Valley, Wilson was lauded as one of the best two-way players in the region, named all-state as both a running back and a safety. As a senior, he was named Richland County Football Player of the Year, had 68 tackles, two interceptions, 281 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. As his high school career came to an end, he was named one of the top 50 players in South Carolina. Inexplicably, he’s deemed just a 2-star recruit, but still received a handful of D1 offers. Ultimately, with guidance from his close family, he decided that Statesboro, Georgia would be his new home, heading less than three hours south for what would be the next four years:

“I was originally committed to Wofford, but I took this visit to Georgia Southern, and just like that everything changed. The coaches, they were genuine, and I just got this vibe that this was exactly where I was supposed to be. More importantly, my family also got a good feeling about Southern too, and their input has always been important to me. After a lot of thought and prayers, I decided to commit to them, go play football in Statesboro – and I had a really great four years there. I’m so grateful for the decision I made.”

There is no hint of bitterness from Wilson when he discusses his recruiting experience, despite maybe not receiving the attention other high school stars of his caliber enjoyed. Considering the impressive career he was able to have at Georgia Southern, perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise. He was keen to focus on the relationships he built with the Eagles coaches that recruited him, such as Cory Peoples, Chad Lunsford and Scot Sloan. Even when I asked about his hometown team, Wilson remained pragmatic:

“Growing up, I was a huge Gamecock fan. And South Carolina did recruit me a little bit, but never offered. I guess things just didn’t work out.”

Eagles Explosion

Anthony Wilson redshirts his first year on campus, before immediately making a name for himself in 2020 when he finally sees the field. Playing all twelve games and starting eleven of them, Wilson makes 67 tackles, and adds a sack and an interception – en route to being named an All-Sun Belt Conference Selection. Georgia Southern do well too, going 8-5 with a bowl win. For Wilson, this was a culmination of talent and effort – and nothing short of what he demanded of himself:

“2020 was exactly how I expected it to go. I’m humble about it, grateful it worked out, but I know how much work I put into it and what kind of player I am. I know God has a special anointing over me, and at that moment he chose to show it through football. I got that starting job and never looked back.”

2021 sees Wilson deliver more of the same from a production standpoint – although the team was not able to say the same thing when it came to matching the success of the previous season. Wilson’s game evolved to encompass more responsibilities in pass coverage, evidenced by his nine pass breakups that year:

“My sophomore year, I was getting more comfortable in the scheme. I was able to just go out there and make more plays. My first year I was really just playing off my instincts, coming downhill and making tackles. But the more I got into that playbook, the more I became a factor in all aspects of the position. My coverage skills improved, I was anticipating a lot better and meeting receivers at the catch point. It was satisfying to see that growth play out on the field.”

2022 would turn out to be Wilson’s final season in Statesboro. It was also the first season for Clay Helton, who had assumed the head coaching role following the dismissal of Chad Lunsford halfway through the previous year. There were some memorable moments for Wilson in his junior season, the final act in a three year career that saw 246 tackles, 12 TFL’s, 21 pass breakups, three sacks and a pair of interceptions:

“I loved my time under both coaching staffs. When Coach Helton came in, he brought more of a business style to the program, going about things in a certain way. It felt almost professional to me. He came from USC which is obviously a big program and no doubt he integrated some tendencies from there. And he was a great coach too, and I learned a lot from him. And I think I had my proudest moment that season too, beating App State in that overtime game. It was just the way we beat them, the resilience we showed. We also beat a ranked JMU team that year too – I got the game winning interception. It was a season I won’t forget.”

Country Roads

Anthony Wilson had established himself as one of the leaders on Georgia Southern’s defense. 2022 saw even more growth, with more than 1,000 snaps played and further all-conference accolades. The safety was not done though – Wilson knew there was more to achieve, more to prove. Once again, consulting those he trusted, he decided to jump into the transfer portal – but before that, he had unfinished business:

“I really wanted to graduate before I left. I got my bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and I hadn’t quite finished that by the time the first December transfer portal window was open. But when April came round, I had a good amount of schools interested in me. Tennessee, Louisville, Duke are ones that stand out. But much like with Georgia Southern four years earlier, when I went for a visit to Morgantown it felt right. Again, my family were sold on the place too. I felt valued, like I was needed to come in and play. West Virginia was a step up too, one I was ready for.”

Despite the deliberate and careful way that Wilson went about his choice to head to West Virginia, including a clear pathway to gametime, there would still be something of a learning curve to endure right? Wrong – Wilson assimilates immediately, making 80 tackles his first season in Morgantown. And, despite the whole world expecting WVU to prop up the Big 12, Neal Brown leads the Mountaineers to nine wins – including lifting the Dukes Mayo Bowl in December. Of course, the unfazed Wilson never entertained the notion of having to find his feet in his new home:

“The stage and the resources at West Virginia were different, on another level. But the game was the same. At the end of the day, football is football, it’s you against them, and there’s good players wherever you go. I was confident when I went there that I would be able to contribute immediately, and I just took my usual approach with me – work hard, get better, earn the job and make plays. The scheme wasn’t too dissimilar to the one at Georgia Southern, just some subtle differences. I figured it out pretty quick.”

Wilson would go on to spend one more season wearing the blue and old gold, another year of outstanding production in the secondary. A college career that finished with 427 tackles may be over, but football doesn’t have to be – for Wilson, his full focus is now earning a shot at the NFL.

"The Will That I Play With Is Unmatched"

Anthony Wilson is already well underway when it comes to preparing for the NFL Draft. Back down in Georgia now, he spent some time over in Orlando last month –  taking advantage of being invited to the Tropical Bowl to showcase his skills in front of an audience that has the power to determine his professional football fate. Wilson feels he left an impression, and hopes he has convinced one team to take a shot on him, regardless of their location.

“It was a good experience. I had an opportunity to do a bunch of interviews, and I felt good in all of them! And that’s important to me, because I want everyone to know that I don’t care where I get an opportunity in the NFL. I know everyone says this, but it’s true; you give me a chance, it doesn’t matter which city I’m in – you’re getting everything I’ve got.”

Wilson will head back up to West Virginia for his Pro Day; the date yet to be officially set but the week commencing March 18th looks to be the aim. That gives the safety six weeks to ‘control the controllables’ and prime himself for the biggest job interview of his life – although Wilson acknowledges there are some things that six years of training cannot change:

“The production speaks for itself right? So now it’s about delivering good testing numbers. I’m fast, and I want the stopwatch to say so. I’m working out every day getting better on that front. And no doubt there’s going to be questions about my size – there’s nothing I can do to change those measurements or people’s opinion about them. But when it comes to pro day, they’re going to see a level of passion and commitment that compensates for any concerns. Just the will that I play with, it’s unmatched. You can’t replicate that.”

Standing at 5’9” and something near 200lbs, Wilson has almost the same physical profile as Antoine Winfield Jr, a safety who was named a first team All-Pro in 2023 and currently sports some serious Super Bowl hardware on one of his fingers. If NFL scouts need reminding that archaic groupthink when it comes to measurables need no longer apply in today’s game, they don’t have to look far.

Special Teams For Special Players

If size is a question mark, tenacity most certainly is not. Anthony Wilson is a guy who likes to do the dirty work, stick his head in where others won’t – and that doesn’t just apply to defense either. Clearly aware of the need to be as valuable as possible, Wilson wants anyone within earshot to know that when it comes to special teams duties, he’ll be knocking the door down ready to offer his services:

“I’ve played special teams at Georgia Southern, and was very happy to do so. I’m a physical guy, a safety that likes to make tackles, and on special teams it’s as physical as it gets. So I’ll embrace that side of the game at the next level. Kickoff, punt team, any unit, anywhere – I’m open to it. Just tell me where to line up and let me loose.”

Wilson mentioning special teams isn’t by accident. Despite the NFL Draft being within touching distance, he’s determined to do everything he can to get on a team’s radar. He’s come too far to take his eye off the end goal now – and that’s clear in how little attention he’s paid to the event itself. When asked what his plans are for draft weekend, Wilson has genuinely not thought about it; but the enormity of the occasion is not lost on him:

“I don’t like to think of it too much. I’m taking this process stage by stage, and I’m so busy preparing I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But the work is for that moment. And I know there’s a lot of us out there who have been playing this game a long time, love football, and are working hard to make it. People know about the grind, but they don’t see all the effort that goes on behind the scenes to get an opportunity like this. I know it would be a huge blessing for me and my family, so when it comes it’s going to be an emotional moment.” 

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

SENIOR WRITER/HEAD OF CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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A huge thank you to Anthony for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchdown wishes him well in his future career.