'He can really sling it down the field'
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson once trucked a linebacker and sent him away in an ambulance. He made deep, back-shoulder throws with such velocity that people actually heard them whistling when they arrived. He was a fantastic high school player, leading Corner Canyon to the Utah Class 5A state semifinals in 2017.
But his feats in the picturesque communities surrounding Salt Lake City didn't spark any buzz of future stardom. Quite frankly, those who faced Wilson four-plus years ago never thought they would be watching him on Sundays this fall.
ESPN interviewed five coaches who opposed Wilson in his senior year at Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, and they all spoke positively -- some effusively -- about what he did to them on the field. They followed his career at BYU and, to a man, they watched on TV with pride when he was selected No. 2 overall by the Jets this past April.
Who knew? They didn't. No one did.
In a recruiting class headlined by fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, both 2021 first-round picks, Wilson never made the national radar. He was the No. 70 quarterback prospect in the country and No. 2 in his own state, behind Washington State signee Cammon Cooper, according to 247 Sports. That he became an NFL draft pick is a story of determination and how the recruiting machine sometimes fails to find the late bloomers.
Before he arrived in Gotham as a perceived franchise savior, and before the storybook finish to his college career at BYU, Wilson was a dual-threat standout known for his competitiveness. He missed two games with an ankle injury at Corner Canyon, but rushed for a team-high 719 yards and eight touchdowns for the 11-1 Chargers. His passing stats were good, but not video-game numbers -- 170-for-297, 2,976 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Utah is known for churning out linemen, not skill players. In fact, the state's high schools have produced five NFL quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN data -- ex-Jet Luke Falk, Bruce Hardy, Jim McMahon, Scott Mitchell and Gifford Nielsen.
Wilson is a trend-buster in a way no one saw coming, at least that's what those opposing coaches said.
www.espn.com
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson once trucked a linebacker and sent him away in an ambulance. He made deep, back-shoulder throws with such velocity that people actually heard them whistling when they arrived. He was a fantastic high school player, leading Corner Canyon to the Utah Class 5A state semifinals in 2017.
But his feats in the picturesque communities surrounding Salt Lake City didn't spark any buzz of future stardom. Quite frankly, those who faced Wilson four-plus years ago never thought they would be watching him on Sundays this fall.
ESPN interviewed five coaches who opposed Wilson in his senior year at Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, and they all spoke positively -- some effusively -- about what he did to them on the field. They followed his career at BYU and, to a man, they watched on TV with pride when he was selected No. 2 overall by the Jets this past April.
Who knew? They didn't. No one did.
In a recruiting class headlined by fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, both 2021 first-round picks, Wilson never made the national radar. He was the No. 70 quarterback prospect in the country and No. 2 in his own state, behind Washington State signee Cammon Cooper, according to 247 Sports. That he became an NFL draft pick is a story of determination and how the recruiting machine sometimes fails to find the late bloomers.
Before he arrived in Gotham as a perceived franchise savior, and before the storybook finish to his college career at BYU, Wilson was a dual-threat standout known for his competitiveness. He missed two games with an ankle injury at Corner Canyon, but rushed for a team-high 719 yards and eight touchdowns for the 11-1 Chargers. His passing stats were good, but not video-game numbers -- 170-for-297, 2,976 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Utah is known for churning out linemen, not skill players. In fact, the state's high schools have produced five NFL quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN data -- ex-Jet Luke Falk, Bruce Hardy, Jim McMahon, Scott Mitchell and Gifford Nielsen.
Wilson is a trend-buster in a way no one saw coming, at least that's what those opposing coaches said.
Opposing high school coaches on New York Jets' Zach Wilson: 'He can really sling it down the field'
Who knew the former Corner Canyon quarterback would be drafted No. 2 overall? Five coaches from rival Utah schools reveal to ESPN what they saw then.