Oklahoma getting a certified brute in 2025 four-star DL Trent Wilson

When the predictions started to roll in for Oklahoma to land 2025 four-star defensive lineman Trent Wilson, I had to scratch my head for a second.

I can't lie; it felt somewhat odd for the Sooners to go into the DMV and cherry-pick one of the best defensive recruits in an area where the Nittany Lions dominate on the trail. Wilson has visited Penn State no fewer than seven times, dating all the way back to June 12, 2022. He didn't make his way out to Oklahoma until March 9, 2024.

Quick math says the Sooners shouldn't have been in this race, but when Landon Rink went the way of the Aggies, Todd Bates and company pushed their proverbial chips to the middle of the table and made Wilson something of a Godfather offer.

Now, he's a Sooner.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, Wilson has long been regarded as one of the top defensive recruits in the nation. He is currently listed as the No. 127 player in the country and the No. 7 overall defensive tackle out of Wise High School in Upper Marlboro (Md.).

There are plenty of folks, including a few of us here at OUInsider, who believe he'll finish ranked higher than that, and a quick look at the tape reveals why.

Here's what the Sooners are getting in their newest defensive line commitment.

When you flip on the tape for Wilson, the first thing that immediately stands out is his explosiveness. Despite weighing 275 pounds, Wilson moves like a 250-pound defender with a quick burst and acceleration out of his stance. There are many instances in his film when Wilson beats his opponents at the snap and is in the backfield before the play can even develop.

High school offensive linemen regularly struggle to reach block him, and his ability to shoot gaps makes him a natural-built game-wrecker. He appears to have excellent top-end speed for his size as well, outpacing players much smaller than himself in rundown situations.

His explosiveness doesn't just show up in his get-off, though, as Wilson also appears to have legitimate knock-back power when he engages at the point of attack. His ability to shock-and-shed blockers starts with an explosive first punch that often jolts the body of his competition. When engaging in one-on-one blocks, Wilson's power shows in both his upper and lower body with great burst and speed in his moves, but also the power to drive an offensive lineman straight back in a bull rush.

At 6-foot-3, Wilson's wingspan appears to be well above average for his height; he certainly owns a plus wingspan. That kind of length gives him an excellent advantage when it comes to keeping offensive linemen from getting into his body.

His long arms work as excellent levers and tools when hand-fighting or trying to gain leverage against a blocker. He's regularly able to keep distance and bypass a blocker before they're able to fully engage him. Other times, Wilson is able to extend his arms and keep an offensive lineman from leaning on him, allowing him to almost forklift blockers where he wants them to go. Perhaps the most impressive part of it is how effortless he makes it look, and much of the film I spent time with was his sophomore tape.

As for his frame, it doesn't get much more promising than what Wilson is working with. He's not too tall but has broad shoulders and a heavy truck with a muscular build in his upper body.

There doesn't appear to be a ton of bad weight, and he could easily add another 20 pounds at the next level and still maintain his body type. That added weight would only add to his power too, which makes his ceiling incredibly high if he can put it all together.

Sure, missing out on Rink was frustrating, but let's not get it twisted: earning a commitment from Trent Wilson is no consolation prize. Wilson is a dangerous athlete who is playing at a much lighter weight than he's capable of, yet exhibits enough power to play effectively as an interior defensive lineman. That's no small task in the Washington D.C. metro area, and there's a reason why teams like Oregon, Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia wanted this kid.

If Bates and the Sooners' training staff can keep Wilson healthy and get him to 295-300 pounds, there's no telling what kind of hell he might raise at the next level. There just aren't many players his size that exhibit the combination of explosive speed and brute strength that Wilson shows in film, and with a collegiate weight program, he could be totally unleashed.

Wilson will be walking into a room with players like David Stone and Jayden Jackson already established as difference-makers for the Sooners' front. Still, he's got the physical attributes to be the same caliber of athlete as those dudes right off the bat, and that alone should tell you how big of a win this is for Oklahoma.