FSU football: Impact of Johnny Wilson commitment to Noles

FSU football got some great news late Thursday night when the former blue-chip wide receiver and Arizona State transfer Johnny Wilson announced his commitment to the Noles.

The wide receiver position is arguably the largest need on the roster after not signing any prep receivers during the Early Signing Period. The passing game hasn’t had dynamic playmakers for several years, but Mike Norvell looks to change that in one offseason, it seems.

The last two wide receivers from the transfer portal were No. 94 and No. 116 nationally in their respective recruiting classes.

For perspective, FSU hasn’t had any wide receiver on the roster ranked inside the top 100 since D.J. Matthews in the 2017 recruiting class. Oh, Pittman and Wilson are former high school teammates.

FSU football hasn’t had anyone of this size and talent on the roster since former first-round draft pick Kelvin Benjamin. I’m not saying he’s the next Kelvin Benjamin, but this is the type of athlete that has eluded FSU since.

I’m sure some people will nitpick about Wilson only appearing in eight games the last two years. Here’s the context: 2020 was a COVID year, and Arizona State only played four total games. A hamstring injury only allowed Wilson to appear in five games in 2021.

It’s a great take for the Noles, so let’s look at the impact Wilson could have on the program.

Unique Size and Speed Combo

Johnny Wilson lists at 6’7″ and 230 pounds. Think of what that looks like, and then think of what FSU football has trotted out to the line of scrimmage at the wide receiver spots the past few years.

FSU players struggled to win 1-on-1 matchups against man-to-man coverage.

That shouldn’t be the case with Johnny Wilson. He’s too big to jam and has just enough speed that he’ll go by defensive backs that play with poor technique.

He does an excellent job of high-pointing the ball and should be an immediate threat in the red zone.

He could also serve as a great decoy. I’d also expect him to be someone the quarterback could look to find when they need a third-down conversion.

Wilson does a good job of using his body to shield smaller defenders and usually catches the ball with his hands away from his body.

Wilson’s ability to stretch the field vertically should allow the smaller receivers like Mycah Pittman and others to do damage underneath with yards after the catch.

Run Blocking

One thing FSU football wide receivers have to do well in Mike Norvell’s offense is blocking. Norvell loves to get the run game doing between the tackles and out on the perimeter.

Blocking is something Johnny Wilson has already shown he has a passion for in his career.

Check the footage below:

He ranked as one of the top blocking wide receivers in college football last season. He has the size to ragdoll opposing defenders, clearing the way for running backs and other wide receivers to do damage in that space.

We saw the pros and cons of poor blocking on the perimeter in 2021. We saw Jordan Wilson blocking help spring someone for a touchdown. We saw the same from freshman Malik McClain at times. However, we also saw a missed block by tight end Camren McDonald result in an interception. If a guy is willing to block at Arizona State earlier as a former high blue-chip early in his career? That tells me this young man will do what it takes to get the W.

Final Thoughts

Listen, failing to sign any wide receivers in the Early Signing Period is inexcusable. Someone has to answer for that and pay the consequences, but I also told you on the Built For Playmakers Podcast that they could make up ground in the transfer portal.

If you told most folks on the first day of the Early Signing Period you could sign Kevin Coleman and Devaughn Mortimer or Mycah Pittman and Johnny Wilson? Who do you think most would choose? I’d hope the smart ones could choose the latter duo. They’ve already got college experience and are physically ready to play.

They should be more mature mentally, and they can help FSU football win more games in 2022 than the two high school players. It’s probably not a smart strategy to solely depend on the transfer portal for wide receivers, but it is an area where you can flip your roster quickly.

I mean, Andrew Parchment wasn’t highly-ranked and didn’t enroll in the spring and tied for the team-high in receptions last year. Pittman and Wilson should enroll this spring, making their ability to impact things much greater in the fall.

FSU needed an influx of talent at the position ready to play, and that’s what they’ve done with the last two additions. I wouldn’t be shocked if they took 1-2 more and flip that room by the time the season starts.