AUSTIN, Texas – Lake Travis wide receiver Garrett Wilson is a perfect example that proves you can go home. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound receiver who is originally from the Columbus suburbs said no to the Texas Longhorns and yes to the Buckeyes at the end of April.
Wilson is from a football-playing family that moved from Ohio to Texas during his childhood but there was never any doubt that Garrett would grow to be quite the football player in his own right. Teams were fighting over the Rivals100 player, but the Buckeyes came out on top. Wilson grew up with dreams of putting on the Scarlet and Gray and seems to be on track to realize those dreams.
"I would always tell my teachers and all my friends that I wanted to play at Ohio State," Wilson said. "Moving down here, I still kind of had it but it kind of flipped to Texas, I just wanted to play college football, period. For them to give me the opportunity to play there, I couldn't pass it up."
An official visit to Ohio State was enough to seal the deal and stir up some memories of his youth.
"I got to see what I grew up with and I had been missing it and I thought I would go back," Wilson said.
Wilson says that he is firmly committed to the Buckeyes and now takes on the role as an active recruiter.
"(I am) trying to bring kids along with me because that is how you build a national championship class," Wilson said. "I am working on a lot of kids."
There is never a shortage of talent in Texas and the Buckeyes have done well over recent years in the Lone Star State with guys like J.K. Dobbins, Jeffrey Okudah, Baron Browning, Matthew Baldwin, Ellijah Gardiner and Demetrius Knox to name a few.
Only moments after going public with his college decision, Wilson was already working social media to try and lure more players north with him. Who is on his radar?
"Graham Mertz, Grant Gunnell, Hudson (Card), a lot of Texas kids, Elijah (Higgins) over at Bowie (high school)," Wilson said. "Jaylen Ellis, working on getting him an offer. There are a lot of Texas kids that I am working on and trying to bring them up with me."
Wilson already has a pitch that sounds pretty convincing.
"If you want a chance to compete for a national championship and play under one of the best coaches ever to do it, come with me and get ready to play," Wilson said. "You will get ready to play for the NFL and anything beyond that. It is a great program. That has been my pitch."
The best part for Wilson is that now he can focus on his senior season along with the recruiting. Schools may contact him but the relationships he has with the Ohio State coaches is what put things over the top.
"That was one of the biggest things of my commitment, the relationships I had with these coaches were unmatched across the country," Wilson said. "I feel very comfortable with them and they feel comfortable with me and we can just talk, not like they are recruiting me but just like we are people and have been friends for 10 years. Our relationships are really good."
