So much for the thought that the Cougs might be done with skill guys. Marquess Wilson, the Cougs' 15th known verbal commitment, is an athletic, rangy wide receiver out of Tulare, Calif., who stands 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, and is listed as a three-star recruit by both Scout.com and Rivals.
The Scout.com combine reports him as running the 40-yard dash in 4.67 and Rivals has him at 4.69, numbers that aren't exactly going to "wow" anyone. But to look only at his 40 time would be to overlook his greatest assets -- namely his long arms and incredible leaping ability.
Put simply, Wilson is a guy who goes and gets the ball. A track athlete who cleared 6-foot-8 in the high jump last year, Wilson's coach described his game this way at the end of last season:
Anytime we got inside the 20, we'd throw it up and he'd go get it, that was part of our game. He was 6-3, yet we could throw the hitch, he'd plant and go because of his speed. He reminds you of those USC receivers the way he can go up and catch in the end zone and make moves like a little guy. He's just a great all-around receiver, and if he continues to stay on track academically, he'll be like [former Lemoore High and current USC receiver David Ausberry]; he'll be in the Pac-10.
I don't know if academics are a concern at this point, but all indications are good.
Rivals has some combine video, embedded below. Wilson comes up at about 1:20 mark, and one thing you'll notice right away -- with the enormous caveat that this is an extremely small look at Wilson -- is that he doesn't appear as refined as a receiver as another Coug Commit, Bobby Ratliff.
It wouldn't shock me at all if Wilson is the sort of player who redshirts his first year, especially with all the youth already at the wide receiver position. He seems like the kind of guy who would really benefit from a year to refine his skills.
One thing I love about this signing? Check out the four receivers that are in this class (in alphabetical order):
- Blair Bomber, 5-9/165, 4.40
- Robert Jiles, 6-0/185, 4.47
- Bobby Ratliff, 6-1/180 (no 40 time listed)
- Marquess Wilson, 6-3/170, 4.69
This is a well-rounded group where each player brings something unique to the table. Bomber can stretch the field, Ratliff is a route runner extraordinaire, Jiles is an all-around talent, and Wilson is a red-zone machine.
One interesting note, as pointed out in spokanecougar's FanPost: Eight guys tripped to the Stanford game; seven of those eight have now verbally committed to the Cougs. What the heck did they tell those guys on that weekend? The big prize in that group is four-star safety Erick Dargan, who is the only one to not have committed yet, but two of his teammates were also in that group and have committed to the Cougs. Here's to hoping they're still working on him.
In looking at how the class is shaping up, there are now four wide recievers, six cornerbacks/safeties, three tight ends, a quarterback and a tackle. With just eight to 10 spots remaining, one has to believe linemen are on the way.