Nation’s top recruit hails from here
Episcopal’s Wilson goes public about his private school pride
It’s the first sunny practice in a few days at Episcopal, and there’s no shortage of cameras following Marvin Wilson.
Music is blaring as the Knights work and Wilson gets back to some sense of normalcy after a busy offseason that included jet-setting across the country. Coach Steve Leisz has a surprise for the players after practice.
As they sprint off the field, they are met by a water balloon attack from coaches — a way to stay cool and have fun.
Wilson takes off his pads and waits to join in. When he does, he makes his presence known, as with everything else he undertakes. He makes sure to tag his teammate, the equally famous Walker Little, a few times, too.
Meet the defensive tackle some call the No. 1 high school player in the country. A behemoth “real life goon” and “private school dude,” a jolly giant, and someone with a huge hand in changing the general perception of private school football in Texas.
“I remember one camp, and they were like, ‘Who y’all want to go against?’ ” Wilson said. “And they were like, ‘Marvin Wilson.’ Everyone wants to make a name off me. A couple guys got me, but I made sure I dominated more than I lost.”
The 6-4, 329-pounder just summarized his summer, which included appearances at famed combines like the Rivals Challenge in Atlanta and Nike’s The Opening in Oregon.
Wilson, the No. 1 player on the Houston Chronicle/Vype Magazine Top 100 list, has been a hot name on the recruiting trail for years, but the fervor increased this summer. He has offers from every corner of college football, and his decision will warrant a national TV audience on national signing day in February.
He can’t go anywhere and not get noticed. He started the popular Twitter hashtag #RealLifeGoon this summer, born after Wilson yelled the phrase into a camera after winning a drill at the Rivals Challenge.
That bravado is a huge part of Wilson’s game.
“I’m going to keep using that movement,” Wilson said. “It’s something I started. I’m going to keep finishing it.”
Wilson, who could have gone to Alief Taylor, arrived at Episcopal originally to play basketball. After seeing a then-260-pound Wilson doing box jumps with ease, Leisz convinced him to take his second sport seriously.
Leisz summed up the magnitude of Wilson’s high school career: Three players from Texas have been ranked No. 1 overall by Rivals — running back Adrian Peterson, quarterback Vince Young and Marvin Wilson.
And Wilson is drawing that attention from the private school ranks, which aren’t short on terrific teams or players but often get passed over for their UIL counterparts.
Proving private school football can be just as relevant matters to Wilson.
“Especially when I go against guys from IMG or other big-time schools,” Wilson said. “That’s the first thing I say after I beat them: ‘I’m a private school dude.’ I make sure the media hears me, too, because that’s the first thing they say against you.”
It’s not just Wilson changing that age-old perception. Fellow senior Little is arguably the best offensive line prospect in the country. And the Knights also have a rising star in junior receiver Jaylen Waddle. At St. Pius X, sophomore quarterback Grant Gunnell already is receiving big-time interest.
Former Episcopal quarterback Shane Carden wasn’t able to draw such attention before tearing through the record book at East Carolina.
“Coach (Kevin) Sumlin at A&M, we talked about it because at that time, Sumlin was at U of H,” Leisz said. “He said, ‘We just didn’t look at private school kids back then.’ He said ‘Now, that’s a different story.’ ”
There also is the perception that the competition among private schools is a step below that of the publics. Episcopal, which plays in the Southwest Preparatory Conference, has tried to answer that with its schedule. The Knights play one of the best private schools around in Plano Prestonwood, but games against Beaumont Ozen and Brenham are on deck, too.
Wilson circles those games.
“Especially against public schools,” Wilson said. “Those are the statement games. I just want to come out there and put on a beatdown.
“Win, and they’d be like, ‘Yeah, you got us.’ Beatdown, that’s a totally different story.”