Your Team Wants James Wilder Jr.

Regardless of who you cheer for, your team wants James Wilder Jr.  And so do you.  The junior from Plant (Tampa, FL) doesn’t need to gain national attention during his senior year, he already has it.  He’s one of only a handful of prospects being considered for the top spot and definitely has the talent to back up whatever ranking he receives. All of that and he’s not even sure what position he wants to play at the next level.  Running back or defensive end/linebacker?  He could be a star at either (although my personal opinion is that he’ll end up being too big to play RB and has a brighter future at DE/LB).

Wilder is a good runner.  In fact, Wilder is a great runner.  He has speed not commonly seen from guys his size and of course possesses power.  Runners in his mold are rarely without power.  And he’s not just a bruiser, as evidenced by almost eight yards per carry last season.  But defense is where most analysts lean.  Wilder could still grow.  The bigger he gets, the less likely he is to carry the ball in the future.

As a defensive end, Wilder is surprisingly quick and frustrating to anyone trying to block him.  He could end up a pass-rush specialist, but there’s no way you could only put him on the field during passing situations.  As a linebacker, WOW.  Wilder already has field vision usually reserved for someone with much more experience playing the game.  And the hits.  Oh the hits.  If the defensive side of the ball is where he ends up, don’t be surprised to see him as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL in a few years.  Then again, with his ability and feel for the game, it might be hard to keep him out of the middle.

So where does the do-everything Wilder end up playing college ball?

It could come down to the position he decides to pursue.  Wilder has mentioned a preference to play running back.  Or at least a desire to go somewhere he will get a realistic shot at carrying the ball.  Despite critics who believe he’ll outgrow it, Wilder believes he can be successful at the position.

A while back, he put Miami out in front if he were to stick with RB.  If he looked to focus on defense, Florida was his top pick.  What was interesting at the time was that the Gators were the only team to make his list for both positions.

For now, most think Wilder ends up staying in-state.  Georgia and USC are in the mix, but analysts believe it will come down to Miami, Florida, or FSU.  Wilder has had plenty of good things to say about the Gators, but has also mentioned the Hurricanes a number of times.  If it comes down to the position he plays, Miami might have the edge.  Wilder doesn’t seem close to giving up the dream of playing offense in college, but don’t think that means Florida is out of it.

Sure his father played running back in the NFL.  Sure Miami wants him at that position (to be fair, Florida isn’t only recruiting him for defense, they’re looking at him both ways as well).  But think of the long-term.  While many predict he could be a great running back, they also predict he could be an all-world linebacker.  Next time you’re perusing NFL rosters, look around and see how many running backs have long, successful careers these days and then compare that to the number of defensive ends or linebackers still excelling well into their 30s.