In what might be considered a mere formality by some, Caleb Wilson announced his final five on Monday. Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennessee, and UCF are still alive.
But probably the most interesting part is who didn't make the cut. Arkansas is out after having a scheduled visit last weekend cancelled. This was the second time Wilson nixed a plan to take a trip to Fayetteville. The Razorbacks reportedly had put together a large NIL package for the five-star forward, but ended up to be no avail in the end.
Another school who was thick in the fight that was surprisingly eliminated was Georgia Tech. The Atlanta native had been on campus numerous times including an official visit in mid-October.
However, the list does make sense from the standpoint that each of the five schools left standing did end up getting official visits from Wilson this fall.
North Carolina is a pretty safe bet as a program in the very top tier of suitors. The 6-foot-9 forward has also taken a pair of officials to Chapel Hill as well. Both occurred in 2024 with the first one coming in February, and the second happening on the first weekend of October. Besides NIL, the Wilson family has come away impressed with the way Hubert Davis plans on using him if he were to choose the Tar Heels.
Wilson was on Kentucky's campus in September. It was his second official visit to Lexington in October of 2023 to Kentucky has been considered the leader at best, and in the lead pack at worst over the past few weeks. They reportedly strengthened their position recently with a second NIL proposal that easily surpassed their first bid by a pretty hefty sum according to sources.
Wilson has stated in no uncertain terms that he enjoys the basketball-first environment of both blue blood programs. Both have recruited Wilson for the long haul, and offered in the summer of 2023. Kentucky issued their invite under the John Calipari administration, but Mark Pope began picking the pace back up this past summer which impressed the family while Hubert Davis has built the relationship consistently throughout.
Another program who has made a major push down the stretch is Ohio State. Wilson took an official visit there on the final weekend of October. According to sources the Buckeyes have put together a substantial NIL deal for the All-American that reportedly is the highest offer of any of the schools according to our sources.
Wilson is a long, springy, athletic forward who does typical power forward things, but is also developing a perimeter game. He impacted the game in multiple ways last summer with the Nightrydas of the EYBL. While he was fine letting Cameron Boozer put together the big scoring numbers, he still lived up to the hype when it came to rebounding, protecting the rim, doing the little things, and stuffing the stat line. He also is one of the most versatile defenders in the country. When it comes to his Holy Innocents High School team, Wilson is a walking double-double. He put up monster scoring, rebounding, and blocked shot numbers last winter.
Wilson has stated a decision will not come during the Early Signing Period which goes through Wednesday night at midnight. However, an announcement either in December or January is a distinct possibility. Mr. Wilson told us during the off-season that he wanted to check out rosters early in the season from each contender. Sources also tell Tar Heel Illustrated that the family is weighing how freshmen are used with all five teams.
