Saturday has been a special day in terms of ASU commits out of the portal, landing players who blue chip prospects out of high school. Florida defensive back Kamari Wilson, a top 60 recruit in the 2022 class is just one example of the haul the Sun Devils have shown.
“When the (ASU) coaches came to my school and talked to me, I was very interested in visiting,” Wilson said. “I like talking ball with them and how they could develop me to be elite. That’s what caught my attention, so I had to go on that visit. When I came to the visit, being from South Florida and never being on the West Coast, I didn’t know what to expect. And honestly, my whole perspective changed, and I just fell in love with the coaching staff.
“Coach Dillingham has a plan for this program. And nobody knows that me and (ASU QB) Jaden Rashada are like brothers. So when I hopped in, he hit me up, and we talked about the culture and the atmosphere, how we were getting to it, and how we needed just a few more pieces to be great. He told me how great the DC and safeties coach (Brian Ward) was and how all the coaches were real genuine.
“I know this is gonna be a great year playing for Arizona State. I think we’re gonna shock a lot of people this year.”
Wilson played in just three games for the Gators this past season, but for unnamed reasons, was not on the depth chart starting in week four and thus was able to redshirt the 2023 season. In his first year for Florida, he started in two games and played in all 13 contests, posting 39 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. Wilson is scheduled to arrive in Tempe next month and has three years of eligibility.
“They see me as a hard hitting safety that’s gonna turn the defense up,” Wilson commented. “I can hit hard but also cover. I’m someone who is going to work hard to have a big role on this team and be a leader. Coach Dillingham told me that this is all about competition, and everybody’s got a fair shot. And that’s another thing I love about him. That’s the best thing when you have a coach who’s gonna be honest with you. He’s gonna tell you that if you’re scared to compete, don’t come here because we’re trying to build a national championship team.
“The guys that are coming in here, we’re not coming in because of NIL or other things. Those things are good as well, but we are coming because we want to pay for ASU. That’s the biggest part.”
Wilson comes into a strong safety room that returns Team MVP Shamari Simmions and USC transfer Xavion Alford, who wasn’t granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA in 2023 and was poised to be a starter that season. Sophomore-to-be Josiah Cox avoided a redshirt last year, and redshirt freshman Montan Warren, who played in just one game last season, is another player who would have received many more sophomores-to-be if not being forced to be sidelined.
Not many newcomers in Florida’s 2022 recruiting class had the same accolades as Wilson, and suffice it to say that the defensive back did envision a better start to his college career. This is why now, as he’s about to begin a new chapter, Wilson is plenty motivated to change the narrative of his play.
“There were some things that happened to me that people don’t know,” Wilson remarked. “Honestly, I’m coming here focusing on myself and getting better. But I’m not gonna lie; I got some burning inside me that’s ready to be unleashed. And it’s gonna look like I got a chip on my shoulder.
“That’s all I’m gonna say about that.”
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