Quincy Wilson is the most sought-after recruit in track and field history. And yet, the 400-meter phenom may not even go to college.
The modern era of collegiate athletics poses a unique decision.
Wilson, a second-semester sophomore in high school, is only 17 years old. He ran at the Olympics at 16 and helped Team USA to win a gold medal in the 4×400 relay after shattering multiple world records in the months leading up to Paris. His name immediately became one of the most well-known in track and field on any level.
However, Wilson has to make a choice about his career. Amateur athletics no longer exist past high school so he has to choose between a jump straight to the professional ranks or whether to run a few years on the NCAA level. He will have about two years to do so.
This kind of thing is not specific to just Wilson. Recruits have had to make a decision on where to go to college for decades. Some of them, in sports like track or baseball, skip the next level to go pro. That is nothing new.
The NIL component to recruiting combined Quincy Wilson’s wide-reaching name recognition is where he differs from the countless recruits to come before him. Never before has a sprinter had more hype as a high school runner. The NIL money offered to him at a four-year college program could far exceed what he would make on the professional circuit and that doesn’t include brand partnerships or clothing deals.
Some high school track stars forgo the remainder of their learning to chase the bag. Wilson is not going to do that. He is going to finish high school. That’s a nonnegotiable.
My schoolwork (is keeping me in high school). I’m an A-average student, and my parents are not going to let me go out there like that… That’s facts, I’m finishing high school.
— Quincy Wilson, via Beyond The Records
From there, Wilson will need to choose what is best for him. Texas A&M, Tennessee and Georgia have already showed interest. All three schools have large NIL pools at their disposal.
The same goes for the Florida Gators. Wilson recently took an official visit to Gainesville, where there is no shortage of financial backing for worthy athletes.
To add another wrinkle to the mix, Wilson got chased down in his final race of the Florida Relays over the weekend. There is concern that he is burning himself out with how much he runs.
Assuming this trend continues and his pace does not slow down, a college career might allow him to slow things down and focus on the little things. Or would it add even more unnecessary miles to his tires? These are the questions Quincy Wilson will have to answer over the next 18/14 months.