MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — There isn’t much Kamari Wilson has yet to come across over four seasons and three separate stops of his college football career.
Now at West Virginia for a fourth stop and final go-around, the safety believes past experiences can help create a strong ending.
“When I was younger, I would always look forward to what’s next or kind of look at the angle, but the process of everything and going through what I went through built character, built a lot in me, and helped me keep going,” Wilson said. “I learned a lot of schemes. I’m not just a player that can do one thing. I can do multiple things at a high level. Moving around helped me in a way schematic wise. Just being around a lot of coaches, which are leader of men. It taught me how to be a better leader, because I’ve seen a lot of different leaders.
“It helped me, and at the end of the day, every decision I made I feel like was the best thing I had to do for me and my family.”
A native of Fort Pierce, Fla., Wilson was a decorated recruit that began his college career at Florida.
As a true freshman in 2022, he played in all 13 contests for the Gators, started twice and his 311 snaps were the most of any true freshman in FBS.
The next season, Wilson played sparingly and in three games, opted to redshirt, and then moved on to Arizona State.
Wilson had a role for the Sun Devils in 2024 and played in 13 contests for the Big 12 champion, but didn’t make the type of impact he had hoped to.
That led to Wilson transferring again — this time to Memphis.
For the Tigers, Wilson took on his most featured role yet. He was the team’s second-leading tackler with 72, including 38 solo stops, and added a pair of interceptions and forced fumbles.
He’s now back at a Power Conference program for his second stint in the Big 12 Conference.
“The thing about West Virginia, this is the closest team I’ve ever been a part of,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t feel like we’re just a bunch of transfers playing just to play. It feels like a family here from coaches to janitors to cooks. We know everyone’s name and we talk to everyone. It’s just like a big family.”
As he transitions to his fourth system, Wilson is able to pick up on things like a seasoned veteran, helping him assume a leadership role despite being a newcomer to Morgantown.
“Playing as a freshman taught me a lot about the game, because I was just a regular high school player,” Wilson recalled. “It made me realize I didn’t know anything. At Florida, the defensive coordinator I had was a very smart dude and he would just pour into me. I was so young, I didn’t understand everything he was telling me until now, which is crazy.
“That’s why I tell my freshmen just to keep learning, because everything he told me, it’s starting to click. It definitely helped me become a good football player.”
His time at Memphis was invaluable as Wilson was tested by a variety of offenses in the American Conference.
One, in particular, stood out.
“It’s not the same week to week and there were a lot of tempo teams as well. It made me adjust a little bit,” Wilson said. “[Against] Navy, I played d-end, which was crazy for me, because they motion every time and it teaches you how to do your 1/11, because if one person is out of their spot, touchdown — literally.
“It’s such a fast pace, so coming here and going against our offense, I’m kind of used to it and it helps us for opponents. We’re moving so fast and we’re conditioned, so when we play in the fourth quarter or third quarter, everyone is tired, but we’re still running ahead.”
The Mountaineers are sure to feature several new safeties in their 2026 lineup, and with his surplus of experience at several high-level programs, indications are Wilson is on track to be one.
“From a young age, growing up where I came from in Fort Pierce, Florida, that standard is something I lived and was held to my whole life, and that’s another reason why I came here,” Wilson said. “I wanted to be challenged and just like Rich Rod says, the better man you are, the better football player you are. That’s very important for me.”