A former Texas high school football player has been the number one pick in the NFL Draft a record 14 times. This year, we had to wait until the seventh pick for a former Texas high school stand out to get drafted. The first off the board from Texas was Tyree Wilson from West Rusk.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Wilson moved with his family to Henderson, Texas in 2002. He attended West Rusk High School in New London, Texas, where he excelled on the football field. During his senior year, Wilson made 126 tackles, 38 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries. Rated as a three-star recruit, Wilson initially committed to play college football at Washington State. However, he changed his mind before the start of his senior year and ultimately committed to Texas A&M.
At Texas A&M, Wilson redshirted his true freshman season, allowing him to develop his skills and grow as a player. As a redshirt freshman, he played in 12 games, making 12 tackles with three tackles for loss and one sack. After the season ended, Wilson decided to explore new opportunities and entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Texas Tech soon became Wilson’s new home. The NCAA granted him a waiver to play immediately, bypassing the usual one-season waiting period for transfers. Wilson’s impact on the Red Raiders’ defense was felt quickly, and he became a starter towards the end of his first season with the team. As a redshirt junior, he recorded 38 tackles, led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss, and secured seven sacks. His performance in the 2021 Liberty Bowl earned him the title of Defensive MVP after making two sacks during the game.
Sadly, in a 2022 game against Kansas, Wilson suffered a season-ending foot injury. Despite this setback, he announced that he would forgo his senior year and declare for the NFL Draft. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Wilson was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Wilson was selected 7th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. Standing at 6 ft 6 in and weighing 275 lb, Wilson joins a Raiders defense that already has pro bowl pass rushers, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones. In a division in which the Raiders will face Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice each year, the Raiders can use the extra pass rushing and Wilson should have a chance to make a big impact early.
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