Three-star Texas WR Jaedon Wilson commits to Arkansas

Another DeSoto (Texas) High School standout secured a spot on an SEC roster.

Jaedon Wilson, a three-star wide receiver, committed to Arkansas on Tuesday. Cal and UCLA were also deemed finalists for Wilson and Cal, Oregon State, Louisville, Nebraska, Illinois, Utah, Missouri, Kansas and Texas Tech were also heavily in the mix.

The Razorbacks have long been trending for the Dallas-area standout, who is also a track and field competitor. Wilson visited Arkansas as recently as Feb. 1 for the team's junior day before heading out for a West Coast swing, which included stops at other finalists such as Cal, UCLA and USC.

Arkansas first offered Wilson in September of 2019 after the first few starts at DeSoto. Razorbacks assistant Justin Stepp was his primary recruiter then and maintained that same position on Sam Pittman's new staff.

Wilson is the eighth addition to Arkansas' 2021 recruiting class, which entered the day right outside the top-50 in the Rivals team rankings. Wilson is the first receiver in the fold and the second Texas-based prospect, joining three-star offensive lineman Cole Carson.

"It’s a great program. I have done my homework on the coaches, the head coach (Sam Pittman), the wide receivers coach (Justin Stepp) and the trainers. They all are great coaches and I believe they can help get me where I’m trying to go."

"The previous visits were critical. I was able to get to know the new coaching staff, which was important for my decision. I did get to catch a game last year and the atmosphere of the fans was exciting."

"I see myself growing academically and also as a wide receiver. Coach (Kendal) Briles gave me a vision of KD Cannon and Corey Coleman. And Coach Stepp gave me a vision of James Proche and Courtland Sutton."

"To me, the decision wasn’t hard, but at the same time, it was. The West Coast did come really close, (especially) Cal and UCLA. I feel like I fit in those programs also, but Arkansas showed me a lot of love. They made me feel wanted more than any other school. They didn’t let the pandemic stop them from reaching out checking in with me on a regular."

"As soon as I walked on campus, Coach Stepp made me feel comfortable -- like I belong there. Building a relationship is important to me and I feel like I have that with coach Stepp already. Coach (Sam) Pittman, Coach Briles and Coach Stepp sat down with me and my dad and explained to us how I would fit in their program and answered all my questions. I did my homework on those guys and I want to do my part to help rebuild the program."

Wilson was an All-District selection at wide receiver for DeSoto in 2019 after transferring over from Bishop Lynch High School last offseason. Wilson saw his production increase in the new offense, mustering 520 yards and 7 touchdowns on 28 receptions as a junior. That averaged out to an impressive 18.6 yards per catch.

Wilson is a two-sport standout that competes in a variety of different evens on the track and field stage. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound pass-catcher has personal-best marks in the long jump (23' 8") and triple jump (44' 5.5") and also competes on the 4x200 relay (1:29.36 seconds) and 4x400 relay (3:36.00) teams.

Football runs in Wilson's family. His older brother, Dontre Wilson, played running back and receiver for Ohio State from 2013-16.

Last season, Wilson was the Robin on the DeSoto receiving corps to Kansas signee Lawrence Arnold and is bracing for a breakout campaign as the team's No. 1 pass-catcher in 2020. In 12 games with the North Texas powerhouse, Wilson showed the ability to stretch the field vertically, be a playmaker downfield and was a safety valve for his quarterback in the short and intermediate parts of the field.

Wilson possesses great vertical ability and along with his length (6-foot-2) has the ability to out-jump defensive backs for 50-50 balls in the red-zone as well as anyone. He's equally as proven snagging contested catches and high-pointing the football, which shows that Wilson is open even when he's smothered by defenders.

There are no verified speeds for Wilson, but he projects as an outside wide receiver for Arkansas capable of beating cornerbacks over the top. He consistently separates downfield and over the middle and possesses decent agility to make plays after the catch. Wilson makes a habit out of turning upfield and looking to pile up more yardage after every reception.

Wilson's combination of speed, length, hands and ability to get behind defensive backs is certainly commendable. So is his willingness to block in the run game. He also has excellent football awareness, which shows on tape. Moving forward, he'd benefit from expanding his route tree and improving on his ability to run different routes to showcase his full skill-set.