Is Lyndell “Mack” Wilson for real? No, that’s not a statement regarding his athletic ability or teaching Hall of Fame coaches to dab or covering backs and receivers in 7-on-7 games like he was a blue-chip defensive back.
The context here regards his recruiting. Florida was his leader, then he had no leader and then it was basically Alabama and Florida. This week he is gushing about Alabama, too.
No one can ever be sure with the 5-star outside linebacker. He happens to change leaders the way Kardashians take selfies, but he said he’s arrived at a new plateau in his recruiting right now.
Georgia. Alabama. Florida.
Are those school now basically equal?
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I guess.”
Wilson got a call from UGA assistant Kevin Sherrer after his basketball game last night. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder collected 15 points and nine rebounds. Yeah, he’s that skilled on the hardwood, too.
Sherrer was just checking in. It was a quick conversation. Why would he play at UGA? Is anything else at Georgia catching his attention other than his long-standing relationship with coach Kirby Smart?
“No, sir,” he said. “That relationship with Coach Smart is going to be there no matter where I go.”
Why does Wilson feel that all those schools are equal?
“I think everybody has the same thing to offer,” Wilson said. “They are all the same type of program. I feel like all three teams are very similar.”
Why would he sign with Georgia?
“I have a good relationship with the coaching staff,” he said. “The chances of me playing linebacker early are also good there.”
But maybe not as good as at Florida. That’s the team he takes his official visit to this weekend. He has referred to the Gators as a leader a lot over the last two months.
Is that for real? Is he just trying to toy with Florida and its fans there? Maybe, but he does have at least two clear examples that show why he’s thinking of the Gators in those terms.
He really likes Florida linebackers coach Randy Shannon and knows there’s opportunity to hit the field fast. He said the team’s depth chart at linebacker is “awful.”
“Coach Shannon was telling me that in their bowl game, they had a walk-on playing linebacker for the whole second half,” Wilson said. “You can look at that and see what kind of opportunity I have to play linebacker right away.”
What is he looking for when he makes up his mind?
“It’s going to be nothing. It’s just whatever I decide on,” Wilson said.
— SEC Country staff writer Chris Kirschner contributed to this report
Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.