MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The fallout from Rivals three-star prospect Shaquery Wilson flipping his commitment Wednesday? West Virginia gained a highly touted receiver and Georgia lost a potentially valuable cornerback.
A 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior from Coral Gables, Fla., Wilson had been pledged to Georgia since last summer over offers from several major programs including Florida, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Louisville and Virginia. For most of that time the Bulldogs staff made it clear they projected Wilson as a defensive back, even though he told various recruiting services he yearned to play receiver in college.
West Virginia, with assistant coach JaJuan Seider once again mining the Miami area as lead recruiter, promised Wilson the chance to play offense and eventually brought him for a visit last weekend.
Mountaineers coaches followed up with an in-home visit Monday, and by the time Wilson appeared on the verge of flipping, it was too late for Georgia coaches to change their tune.
“I’m hearing Georgia tried to make him a desperate wide receiver pitch at the end, but it didn’t work,” said Rivals writer Keenan Cummings, who reported Wilson’s change of schools via WVSports.com.
In the ever-fluid team recruiting rankings, West Virginia”s 2015 class stands 29th nationally, according to Rivals. The Mountaineers are ranked 30th by 247 Sports and 26th by Scout.
While Wilson has the size and athleticism to be a Daryl Worley-type corner, his high school receiving highlights reveal an explosive playmaker who could stand out in Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid attack.
“He has top-end speed and will take a quick slant or screen to the house, but he’s also physical enough to put his shoulder down for additional yards and isn’t afraid to go over the middle,” Cummings said.
West Virginia now has three receivers among its 22 commitments but remains on the hunt for at least one more. Primary targets include Antonio Callaway (who’s considering Florida and Miami) and Gary Jennings (who appears down to Virginia and WVU).
The Mountaineers must replace two seniors in All-American Kevin White and Mario Alford, who combined for 174 catches, 21 touchdowns and 2,392 yards last season. That leaves rising senior Jordan Thompson (49 receptions, 598 yards), junior Daikiel Shorts (24 receptions, 346 yards) and sophomore Shelton Gibson (four catches, 60 yards) as the top returnees.