Former Katy star Wilder ready for his chance at UH
Collin Wilder had a front-row seat for his collegiate debut, but even that was not nearly close enough.
For four years, Wilder was entrenched as a starter for perennial national football powerhouse Katy High School.
He made a nationalrecord 64 straight starts.
But in last year’s opener against third-ranked Oklahoma, the thenUniversity of Houston freshman safety watched from the NRG Stadium sideline.
“It was definitely different,” Wilder said. “I can’t remember the last time I had sat on the bench and watched the defense play.”
As chance would have it, Wilder found his way on the field for two plays when teammate Khalil Williams had to come out with leg cramps. One of the plays happened to be one of the biggest of the season for the Cougars — a 100-yard touchdown return off a missed field goal by Brandon Wilson to spark the upset over the Sooners.
“At that point, just loop around and find the first person you see (to block),” Wilder said. “That was a really cool experience.”
More opportunity
The Cougars expect bigger contributions from the 5-10, 195-pound Wilder this season. While no depth chart has been released in preseason camp, Wilder would likely be among a three-man rotation with Garrett Davis and Terrell Williams at the safety spots if the season began today.
“You come in as a freshman, and obviously, you want to get on the field as soon as possible,” said Wilder, who played in all 13 games. “At the same time, you have to play your role, whatever that role is. I played a lot of different positions on special teams. That was just my role last year. You just have to embrace it no matter what.”
Wilder spent the last four games as the primary punt returner. He was a front-line blocker on punts and was used on the kickoff unit. He lined up in the secondary on some third-down packages, particularly when Brandon Wilson was out with injury.
Houston secondary coach Clay Jennings said Wilder is “pushing” for early playing time.
“One thing that is happening with Collin is not only does he know what and how to do it with the defense, but he’s gaining a greater understanding of why we want to do something with the defense,” Jennings said.
“He’s a sponge. He loves absorbing information. He’s a great communicator out there and can get everybody lined up. He knows where all 11 guys should be on the field at the same time. He does a great job as far as anticipating adjustments.”
Being prepared
While the college game has been an adjustment, Wilder said playing at Katy helped.
“I think Katy High School really prepared me for this competition and for the mental aspect of playing college football,” said Wilder, who was part of two state championship teams. “It played a big role, I believe, in my knowledge of the game.
“Coach (Gary) Joseph prepared me tremen- dously with my football knowledge, my football IQ, and taught me how to go hard every single play. Eventually when those things pile up, your IQ and how hard you go, that takes over athleticism.”
Now a sophomore, Wilder again will patiently wait for his chance to contribute, although hopefully not for long.
“I’ll be prepared no matter what,” he said. “I’ll be smart. I won’t be the fastest guy on the field or the quickest, but I’ll get the job done. I’ll be smart with whatever they need me to do.”