Why Dontre Wilson Chose Ohio State Over Oregon

Ohio State and Oregon do not cross paths on the recruiting trail very often. That's mostly because of geography: three time zones and 2,428 miles separate Columbus, Ohio and Eugene, Oregon. Most recruits would rather not drive 37 hours from one school to the other.

Even so, the Ducks are college football's nouveau riche powerhouse, and they have been competing for some top recruits with the Buckeyes for nearly a decade (Oregon was one of Terrelle Pryor's final four teams in 2008). Nobody embodies the struggle between Ohio State and Oregon recruiting better than Dontre Wilson.

WILSON TO OREGON

Dontre Wilson was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation for the 2013 class. Wilson played running back for his DeSoto (Texas) football team, but most recruiting services listed him as an all-purpose back.

Above all else, Wilson was known in recruiting circles for his speed. He could legitimately run a 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds, and this in combination with his diminutive size led many to envision him as a scatback or H-back. Wilson drew comparisons to LSU's Trindon Holliday, another tiny back who achieved great success. Urban Meyer did not find a player to fit the H-back role in 2012, which made finding one for his first full recruiting class all the more important.

Meyer would have to fend off some of the top programs in the country for Wilson, including Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas. Oregon in particular was known for bringing in these types of recruits and making them a part of their offensive system, like De'Anthony Thomas (a future NFL back) and Byron Marshall (who starts for Oregon now). Thomas had a successful career at Oregon and went on to the NFL and Marshall is now doing the same for Oregon.

With some pro success and a running-oriented attack, Oregon was an attractive school for Wilson. He took a visit to Eugene in March of 2012, the spring before his senior season, and in May he committed to the Ducks. For eight months, Dontre Wilson was the cream of Oregon's crop.

COACHING CHANGE, WILSON CHOOSES OHIO STATE

It is commonly accepted that Chip Kelly is one of the best coaches in football. He gets the most out of his quarterbacks, and his up-tempo, relentlessly attacking offense puts other offenses to shame. Mark Helfrich may be Oregon football's head coach now, but Chip Kelly put the Ducks on the map.

For years, rumors persisted about Chip Kelly leaving Oregon to take a job in the NFL. Kelly took over the Oregon program in 2009, and by 2011 he had been to a Rose Bowl and a national championship game. But his program was plagued by its shady recruitment of a player named Will Lyles, which threatened to undo Kelly and led to NCAA punishment. He stayed on two more years anyway, winning 24 more games two more BCS bowls. Finally, on Jan. 16, 2013, Chip Kelly was introduced as the next Philadelphia Eagles head coach.

When Kelly left, nobody knew who was going to coach Oregon. Wilson and other recruits were in a state of limbo, and he became receptive to other schools' offers. While committed to Oregon, Wilson visited Ohio State on Jan. 25, 2013. He visited Oklahoma State and Texas after that, and cut his choices down to three.

On Feb. 4, 2013, Dontre Wilson chose Ohio State over Oregon and Texas on national television, giving the Buckeyes the H-back they had desperately needed since Meyer took over. 

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, MIDDLING RESULTS

From the first day of spring practice until the first day of the season, no freshman had higher expectations than Dontre Wilson. Meyer would frequently gush about him, and given Ohio State's nondescript running game the previous year Wilson was thought to be an instant contributor. In the end, the expectations placed on him were too high: he had 460 combined rushing and receiving yards, fine for a true freshman but worse than Wilson was hyped. He was mostly used as a decoy throughout the season, and he was too small to pass block. Teams figured out what was coming when he was on the field.

Wilson's role in the offense changed this season when he became the starting H-back/wide receiver, as he split out wide more often and sat in the backfield less. He and Jalin Marshall became the H-backs, the most versatile weapons of Ohio State's offense. After a decent but frustrating start to the season, Wilson broke his foot in the game against Michigan State and had successful surgery to repair it. He has missed every game since.

Wilson has been adamant about playing against Oregon. If he plays, he can be a critical part of the Buckeyes' offense. He can also show the Ducks who and what they missed out on.