Ever since Chip Kelly left for the NFL, 2013 DeSoto (Texas) running back Dontre Wilson has remained committed to the Ducks, but is also taking visits. It may end up being the only one he needs to make a final decision.
Dontre Wilson “50/50” following Ohio State official visit
The Oregon commit may not make his planned visit to Oklahoma State.
Wilson went to Ohio State to meet with Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes last weekend. Coming away from the trip, Wilson’s father told 247Sports that his son is currently “50/50” between the two schools.
Both provide an excellent fit for Wilson, with Meyer able to sell the Texas product on success with players like Percy Harvin, Chris Rainey, and Jeff Demps, while new Oregon coach Mark Helfrich can point to LaMichael James, another Texas running back who was considered undersized coming out of high school, but was able to handle a high-volume of carries in the fast-paced Duck attack.
Oregon may have the advantage if Helfrich can convince Wilson that Oregon will use him as a pure running back taking carries from beside the quarterback and that Ohio State is more likely to use him as a slot receiver/speed sweep specialist, an all-purpose role that Wilson wasn’t always convinced took the best advantage of his talent when he made his initial decision.
Both schools will also do in-home visits this week in an attempt to sway the 5-10, 175-pound speed merchant who participated in the 2013 Under Armour All-American game.
Another moving piece in Wilson’s recruitment is the status of St. Louis (Mo.) Burroughs running back Ezekiel Elliott, who took a visit to Missouri last weekend and may not be entirely thrilled with the burgeoning interest in Dontre Wilson:
Source told USATodayHSS.comDontre Wilson's visit to Columbus caused a little tension between Ezekiel Elliott and Ohio State.
— Brandon Castel (@BCastOZone) January 29, 2013
Will it impact Meyer’s pursuit of Wilson? That much isn’t clear yet, though Meyer doesn’t seem like the type of coach to allow a prospect to make his recruiting decisions for him.
There are other remaining questions with Wilson, as well. Will he take his planned official visit to Oklahoma State this weekend, which his father made sound unlikely in his interview with 247Sports? Will he make it down to Austin during the week? Neither seems likely at this point, with the Texas visit a definite longshot.
That 50/50 equation doesn’t exactly leave a lot of room for any other schools, after all.
