Ohio State commit Garrett Wilson, a five-star wide receiver from Austin, Texas, has agreed to give Eleven Warriors exclusive access into his senior season with the Cavaliers.
He'll join us every week to assess his own play, as well as his team's, while giving Ohio State fans continuous updates as his senior prep season rolls along.
Wilson's second entry comes just hours before Lake Travis hosts Austin in a District 25 matchup. A win would be the Cavaliers' 13th in their last 14 tries, dating back to 2017.
On Fridays, wide receiver Garrett Wilson wakes up at 6 a.m., reads a page from the Bible, showers and grabs a breakfast taco. He arrives at Lake Travis High School by 7:15, attends what his team calls 'Breakfast of Champions' and then heads to chapel at 8 with his teammates.
After chapel, the Cavaliers go through offensive meetings and then head to class. The school day ends and it's on to traditional rituals before they head out to, as Wilson puts it, "ball." On most Friday nights, Lake Travis wins and wins big. After head coach Hank Carter addresses his team, most players grab a late night bite to eat before a light Saturday morning practice.
Aside from winning football games, this is what a regular fall Friday looks like for Wilson.
Last week, in limited action, Wilson caught three passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a punt 93 yards to the house in a 51-13 win over Akins. The victory moved Lake Travis to 4-0.
"This week's game was a game for us, where we were really working on tightening everything up," Wilson said. "I did well with starting the game right from the jump at full speed."
Onto the next one, which is Austin, a 2-2 team that possesses multiple talented athletes. But it doesn't matter who the opponent is. The Cavaliers stick to their weekly ritual.
"This week, once again, it just takes us playing Lake Travis football, and starting fast," Wilson said.
Alongside Wilson and quarterback Hudson Card, a Texas commit that's thrown for 500 yards and eight touchdowns on 46-of-65 pass attempts, the Cavaliers have definitely been "starting fast." They've also kept their foot on the pedal, beating opponents by an average margin of 23.5 points.
Wilson, Ohio State's top commit in its Dynasty '19 recruiting class, expects to see Card after the two end their senior year together ... just wearing different colors.
"Hudson and I have a great relationship, and spend a lot of time together in and out of football," Wilson said. "At the next level for him, I expect him to bring Texas back to being a high-level power like the past, and plan to see him in a playoff matchup in college."
Before he knows it, Wilson will have a chance to help the Buckeyes make it to that college football playoff game. But first, he has to take care of business in Texas while his future teammates travel to Happy Valley with the task of beating Penn State, the ninth-ranked team in the country.
Last Saturday, Wilson saw Ohio State welcome back head coach Urban Meyer from a three-game suspension before handing Tulane a 49-6 drubbing.
"Coach Meyer and I have a great relationship. He was a huge reason I chose Ohio State."– Garrett Wilson
Meyer was also a big reason why Matthew Baldwin joined the program. Baldwin, a current freshman on Ohio State's roster, spent last fall throwing the ball to Travis in Texas.
Baldwin is just one of the Buckeyes Travis keeps in contact with.
"I talk to a few players on the roster, but I’d say I obviously have a strong relationship with Baldwin," Wilson said. "It’s good to have someone close who can give you insider updates on the program I’m going to be attending. It’s also good to go into college with some people on your side."
Baldwin, of course, is behind sophomore Dwayne Haskins and redshirt freshman Tate Martell in the pecking order at the quarterback position. Haskins is a name Wilson, and the rest of the college football community, has watched closely over Ohio State's first four games.
Garrett Wilson
"I see a quarterback who’s able to spread the ball to the athletes all around the field, and a player who keeps the defense honest," Wilson said of Haskins. "I see a major Heisman winner, who can also bring the next national championship to the Ohio State University. Would be a blessing to play with him."
Baldwin, Haskins and company will be blessed to escape Pennsylvania with a win Saturday. The Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Trace McSorley, will certainly be amped up after last year's 39-38 improbable loss in Columbus.
Throw in the hostile environment with 110,000 screaming fans and the Buckeyes will be happy to fly back to Columbus with a win in their pockets.
Best believe Wilson will be watching from the Lone Star State.
"Games like Ohio State has this weekend are the reasons why I’m so anxious to be a Buckeye," Wilson said. "High-level matchups in primetime are things that kids dream of playing in. With that said, I've got the Buckeyes by 10 on Saturday."
