Garrett Wilson reveals why he did not consider Texas in recruitment

Former Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson is just days away from becoming a first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but could not resist the urge to take one parting shot at the Texas Longhorns before leaving the college ranks for good. Despite never playing them head-to-head, the Texas native holds strong feelings on the subject.

During an appearance on NFL Network’s Rich Eisen Show, Garrett Wilson discussed why he did not consider Texas in his 2019 recruitment.

“Texas had a few down years at that point,” said Wilson. “I was from Austin, but it wasn’t like they came and started recruiting me early or tried to get in on me early. They kind of came with the rest of the pack of schools that came and recruited me.

“When I went up to Ohio State and did that visit, it just was coach Meyer and coach Day at the time. The relationship there was just really special, it wasn’t like something I had anywhere else at that time. That was the thought behind my decision.”

The twist to the story is that while Wilson played football in the Austin, Texas area during his recruitment, he previously grew up in Columbus, Ohio. With a connection to both cities and the relationship better between player and staff, it made the decision easy.

Coming out of high school, the five-star recruit ranked No. 19 in the country and No. 3 among players in the state of Texas. He also ranked as the No. 2 wide receiver in the country while playing at Lake Travis High School.

More on Garrett Wilson

Garrett Wilson is widely considered one of the top wide receivers available in the 2022 NFL Draft and could be selected inside the top 10. Multiple analysts have referred to him as the best at his position and could see him forcing a team to trade up for his services.

The former Ohio State star is projected to go No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons in ESPNs’ latest joint mock draft between Mel Kiper and Todd McShay. In that projection, he does become the first wide receiver off the board.

During his interview with Rich Eisen, Wilson revealed that he is already in Las Vegas this week and plans to attend the NFL Draft live, with the opportunity to walk on stage and shake Roger Goodell’s hand after hearing his name called.