Five-star EDGE Damon Wilson signs with Georgia
Georgia has a new highest-rated signee with five-star EDGE Damon Wilson officially on board Wednesday afternoon. Wilson, who committed to the Bulldogs on ESPN earlier in the day on the first day of the Early Signing Period, joins a Georgia class that’s ranked No. 2 in the nation and also has the No. 4-ranked EDGE player with Samuel M’Pemba signed too.
Wilson, a native of Venice, Fla., chose Georgia over Ohio State among many others. He ranks No. 17 in the country according to the On3 Consensus while On3 is higher on him than any others in the industry, ranking Wilson at No. 4.
“Coach Diribe and Coach Smart, they explained to me and told me how they were going to stop Tennessee, and then it was so nice being able to see exactly what they were talking about on the field,” Wilson told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, speaking on his official visit to Athens to see Georgia play Tennessee. “Seeing how they could do that and change their personnel just for that game, that was a big thing for me to see.”
“Coach Diribe, I like that he’s young and hungry,” Wilson added. “He wants to make a name for himself. You know he’s going to put 100 percent into his players, and then talking to DJ, Nolan and all of those guys, I was able to talk to them about how they feel about him. They said he’s a great coach, easy to talk to, and just a normal person. With him, it’s like talking to a coach I’ve had four or five years now.”
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Ultimately, according to Simmons’ conversation with Wilson, the decision came down to where he felt he’d be able to consistently compete for championships. To him, Georgia was the best place to be.
“Coming from where I am at Venice, it’s a winning program and we’re striving for the highest level of winning,” Wilson said. “And one of my whole things going into this was not going to a team who could compete but is consistently competing for a national championship. And that’s Georgia.”
On3 Director of Scouting and Ranking Charles Power wrote the following assessment of Wilson’s game:
Disruptive pass rusher with one of the best first steps in the 2023 cycle. Bursts off the snap and is often in the backfield before opposing offensive linemen are out of their stance. Owns a solid build, checking in at nearly 6-foot-4, 230 pounds prior to his junior season with plus length for the position. Tests as a good athlete in the combine setting but plays quicker than his times indicate. Shows the ability to bend and dip around the edge, in addition to the outstanding first step. Plays for a top high school program in Florida. Turned in strong production with 15 sacks as a junior. Has added strength and checks in as one of the strongest EDGE defenders in the class in terms of weight room numbers. Highly technical and polished with his hands. Has few holes in his game and looks like one of the highest floor defenders in the cycle to go with substantial upside. – On3 High School Scouting Summary
