JUCO wide receiver Darren Wilson announces commitment to Cyclones
May 29, 2019
Darren Wilson from Butler Community College in Kansas announced his commitment to Iowa State on Twitter Wednesday. Wilson is a six-foot-three-inch wide receiver.
Wilson, who will be immediately eligible, will add depth and size at the wide receiver position after Iowa State lost two veteran targets from last season.
At Butler, Wilson racked up 20 receptions, 390 yards and three touchdowns through ten games. He averaged 39 yards receiving per game and 19.5 yards per catch as a sophomore.
According to 247 Sports, Wilson is a three-star recruiting prospect.
Wilson received scholarship offers from West Virginia, Buffalo, UNLV, Alabama-Birmingham, South Alabama and Liberty before committing to Iowa State.
Iowa State currently has seven wide receivers with scholarships on the roster, including senior Deshaunte Jones, sophomore Tarique Milton, sophomore Joseph Scates, senior Josh Johnson and Landon Akers.
Of those players, the most established wide receivers on the roster are Jones and Milton, who both operate primarily out of the slot. At the X and Z wide receiver positions on the outside of the formation, the Cyclones lack experience.
Akers — who stands at 6 feet tall and registered 10 receptions for 181 yards — and Johnson, who stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and had one reception for 11 yards last season, are the most experienced players at the position.
The 6-foot-2-inch Scates redshirted last season and was the 44th best wide receiver in the country coming out of high school. Though he still will compete for the starting job, Scates was suspended last season by the team.
Last season, Iowa State lost two big wide receiver targets — Hakeem Butler to the draft and Matthew Eaton to graduation. Butler was listed as 6 foot 6 inches, and Eaton as 6 foot 4 inches.
Eaton accounted for 27 receptions and 304 yards for two touchdowns, and Butler had 60 receptions for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns through 13 games.
Wilson will have two seasons with the Cyclones to carve out a role and will serve as an immediate contributor with his experience coming out of community college.