‘Program changer’: 2025 QB recruit Will Wilson ready to begin NC State football career
With only weeks left in high school, Will Wilson has his eyes ready on his next chapter: playing college football at North Carolina State.
The Richland Northeast High School quarterback officially joined the Wolfpack on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for football players across the country. Wilson has been committed to Dave Doeren and Wolfpack for almost 18 months and was the third pledge for N.C. State’s Class of 2025.
“I am very thankful to be in this situation and I thank God every day,” Wilson said Monday night at the Richland County Player of the Year banquet. “I can’t wait to play for the Wolfpack. I have been waiting for years and it is time.
“They are getting a great guy, a humble guy who is strong and is going to be a program changer to help the program win.”
Wilson is one of 20 commitments for the Wolfpack for 2025, a group that includes four-star running back Kentrell Rinehart.
The three-star Wilson is the lone QB in the class, and it’s unlikely he’ll have to play right away when he gets to Raleigh. N.C. State has a quarterback in CJ Bailey, a freshman who took over the starting role after Grayson McCall was injured.
“I want to catch on with the offense ... get into a rhythm with the workouts and get a connection with the guys,” Wilson said of his goals over the next few months. “This is a great class coming in. A lot of people look at stars and rankings and stuff like that. ... I’m excited to play with a group of guys who have a lot of heart.
Wilson picked up one of his final high school accolades Monday by winning the Richland County Football Player of the Year honor, which is given to the top player locally. He was one of 15 nominees for the award.
The 6-foot-1 Wilson helped turn around a struggling Richland Northeast program that had a 24-game losing streak when his father, Walt Wilson, took over as head coach in 2021. RNE is located about 20 minutes northeast of South Carolina’s capital city of Columbia.
With Will Wilson as the centerpiece of the offense, the Cavaliers won 15 games the past two seasons, the most in a two-year stretch since 2010-11, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs both years.
In a 22-20 first-round playoff win over Seneca last month, Wilson was 18 of 26 passing for 223 yards and rushed for 198 yards and accounted for all three of the Cavs’ scores.
“I always say this: When I’ve got No. 1, I’ve got a chance,” Walt Wilson said of his son after the game.
Wilson completed 66.7% of his passes this season and threw for 2,482 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,144 yards and 20 touchdowns despite missing two games after having his knee scoped in the middle of the season.
For his career, Wilson finished with 11,080 all-purpose yards and 119 total touchdowns.
247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins’ evaluation called Wilson “an imposing, dual-threat quarterback prospect” and compared him to Arkansas/Central Florida quarterback KJ Jefferson.
Wilson will play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star game on Dec. 21. The game features some of the top senior high school football prospects in North and South Carolina.
He’ll said he’ll most remember his high school career for helping build up the RNE program.
“I am going to try and cherish every moment,” Wilson said. “A lot of people in the community were lacking hope (in the program) and now Cavalier pride is back. And I am grateful I can have a big impact on the community.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 9:57 AM.
