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Raylen Wilson (No. 18) rises to the top linebacker in the On300. The Georgia signee’s combination of speed, range and instincts makes him a safe bet at the position. Wilson has the best times of the top linebackers nationally, with sub-11.0 second marks in the 100 meters at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds. He plays like it, too. We saw Wilson make some eye-popping plays at the Under Armour All-American Game.
All-star practices don’t always provide the ideal setting for evaluating linebacker prospects, as contact is limited. With that said, we weigh in-game performance more heavily in assessing the linebackers. Raylen Wilson was the top linebacker in Tuesday’s game, by a fair margin. The Georgia signee made a number of ‘wow’ plays. Wilson was an eraser, flashing his sub 11.0 second 100-meter speed closing quickly. He also showed a translatable skill-set as a downhill run defender, knifing through the line to make several impressive stops. The Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln product has continued to add good mass to his frame, now checking in at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds. His combination of instincts and play speed make for one of the top linebacker prospects in the 2023 cycle.
The recent Georgia commitment made a big move up the list. He is currently No. 25 after ranking No. 136 on the previous list. Wilson, who turned 17 on July 7, made major gains in his strength and speed throughout the spring. At 215 pounds, Wilson recorded a personal best of 10.91 seconds in the 100-meter-dash. That quickness will carry over to the field. Wilson has high-end burst, acceleration and closing speed and can make plays sideline-to-sideline. He does so with smooth movement skills. However, Wilson is more than a player with excellent speed. He can strike opponents in the open field and take on blockers.
Raylen Wilson has shown considerable physical growth over the course of the off-season. The Michigan pledge measured at 6-foot-1.5 and over 215 pounds this spring. Wilson has added at least one inch and added over 10 pounds to his growing frame. He’s gotten faster, as well. Wilson posted a 10.91 second mark in the 100 meters this spring (cutting a few tenths off his prior best time) and later won his district meet. The gains showed up on the field this spring at Tallahassee Lincoln, with Wilson making some highly impressive athletic plays in pursuit. He’s also adding play strength, evident in his ability to take on blocks as a run defender. If the spring was any indication, the NFL legacy looks like one of the more athletic and ascending prospects at the position nationally. The growth makes sense as well, when you consider Wilson is much younger than most 2023 prospects and doesn’t turn 17-years-old until July.