2025 Preview: Wilson Tigers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brian Wilson's first act as the head coach at Wilson was to raise the bar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The perception of Wilson football has been bad for a long time,” quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734485' first='Tristen' last='Howard']</strong> said. “We've all been trying to figure out the standard. When Coach Wilson got here, he let the standard be known immediately. He didn't drag it. He didn't allow things to go on. If you missed a certain amount of days, you were off the team. That's important.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The new bar wasn't cleared by everyone who was on the team prior to Wilson's arrival. In fact, he dismissed six players, nearly all of whom had significant roles in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What was left, and what Wilson brought with him from Sumter, was an attitude that focused not on wins and losses or seasons, but in the daily routine that leads to those big-ticket successes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In small doses, the Tigers have already seen results.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even with some back-ups filling in for absent starters, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/wilson-wins-justin-bethel-7-on-7-gridiron-classic/">Wilson won the Justin Bethel 7-on-7 Gridiron Classic</a> in mid-June. It was a surprise even for the first-year head coach, who admitted that the team's poor showing the day before at the Shane Beamer 7-on-7 was a significant let-down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The smile on his face after the Tigers won the Justin Bethel was indicative of his feelings for receiving a $4,000 check for his program, but also about how the process itself could work faster than even he expected.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We celebrate the little wins. We're teaching them to win at all costs. … The standard is high. Even though they haven't won, we set the standard high. It's the little things: Showing up on time, shirt tucked in, just doing the little things. I think we all know it's the little things.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team isn't exactly one navigating the new approach empty handed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers' depth chart is stacked with players who have either had incremental individual or team success at Wilson (in football, basketball or track) or at Sumter. There's a mix of older guys like defensive end and tight end <strong>Omir Douglas</strong> and offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704980' first='Amir' last='Gee']</strong> next to younger guys like receiver <strong>RaSean Wilson</strong> and <strong>Kaden Bethea</strong> and defensive end <strong>Jabron McFadden</strong>. Tack on defensive backs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623916' first='Brian' last='Wilson II']</strong> (the coach's son) and <strong>Da'Von Bowman</strong> - who both transferred in from Sumter - and the pieces are there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is size abound, with the majority of it not slated to go anywhere after the 2025 season. Either way, the message around this program was delivered by a new head coach. But it was absorbed by the players who navigated a higher bar, hoping to change the perception of Tigers football right here and now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“They're still my guys. But if they're going to be a part of the program, I want to win. That's the bottom line,” Howard said. “I want to do what it takes to win. If my head coach doesn't believe they need to be on the team for us to win, I'm buying in. Outside of football, you can still be my best buddy, but if you can't do what it takes to help us to win as a team, you don't belong.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1734485' first='Tristen' last='Howard']</strong> QB, 2026 (pictured) - Howard has mostly been the starter since his sophomore season, and while he's about to have his third different head coach, the stars are starting to align for him. He'll have plenty of support next to him in the shotgun formation and quality targets to throw to, not to mention a budding offensive line protecting it all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639822' first='MyQuan' last='McWhite']</strong> RB, 2026 - McWhite played more than half of his snaps last fall at receiver before making the switch the tailback, where he'll appear this fall. He's a compact 5-foot-6 and 164 pounds, and along with his 21-mile-per-hour speed, he's got enough speed to have his breakout senior season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395075' first='Zion' last='Mack']</strong> DB, 2026 - Mack is fast and he's physical. And at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, he is a lengthy ball hawk who can patrol the backside of the defense. That will be a huge key, as several of the pieces in front of him are going to be allowed to gamble more to create turnovers. Simply, throwing the ball over Mack's head is very, very difficult.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taumaury Echols</strong> LB, 2026 - After stepping in from time to time at quarterback, receiver and even defensive end, Echols is going to be starting at middle linebacker this fall. His understanding of both sides of the football will come in handy, as will his experience of the linebacker position and his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704980' first='Amir' last='Gee']</strong> OL, 2026 - At 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds, Gee has more than enough size to give the backfield some breathing room. He's penciled in to again start at left guard, but he's also listed on the depth chart as the Tigers' back-up center behind starter <strong>Braeden McBride</strong> and occasionally played some tackle as a junior. That kind of flexibility will be key as the year wears on and the normal attrition issues of a football season take place.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16821667/6717cfdd2e1f98b6ddf75f90' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-686abef51f0bf"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ti'Monti Emanuel</strong> RB - The 5-foot-8, 160-pound tailback was the Tigers' top rushing threat for most of the last two seasons. He also returned kicks, something that further put him into open space with the ball in his hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KJ Myers</strong> ATH - Myers spent significant time at four different positions, rushing for 500+ yards, throwing for 600+ and scoring 12 total touchdowns while standing out at defensive back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jabron McFadden</strong> DL, 2028 - The 6-foot-3, 270-pound hybrid lineman is someone Wilson has raved about multiple times this summer already. The coach referred to him as a potential Division-I recruit who simply doesn't know how good he can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor Brand</strong> 2027, WR - Brand is going to give opponents an every-down type of concern on the outside. He's not huge (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), but he's an effective pass catcher who can move the sticks while keeping opponents from stacking the box against the run.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1704372,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Da'Von Bowman","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"180","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Wilson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-686abef520c91"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Sumter transfer will make an immediate impact for his new program. As a sophomore with the Gamecocks, Bowman put up 59 tackles and four interceptions. He also forced a fumble and blocked a punt. Based on his familiarity with Wilson's head coach, there might be something special brewing here for the next two seasons.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19699648/67476d5d35352caea58a044d' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-686abef520cd2"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->