Had it not been for a last-minute change of heart, Dontae Wilson would be playing for Army next week when the Cadets open the season in Atlanta. Instead, the fifth-year senior from Jefferson will be manning his usual spot at nose guard on the Georgia State defense.
Wilson had been a longtime commitment to attend West Point. He liked the academics and the potential that comes with a career as an officer. But when signing day drew near, Wilson began to think about how his decision would affect his family. They wouldn’t be able to make many trips to New York to watch him play in person, and that weighed on his mind.
So when Georgia State approached him, late in the recruiting process, Wilson was more than willing to listen.
“I’m a family man,” Wilson said. “I really didn’t know much about Georgia State’s program, but once I looked into it and came out and talked to coach (Shawn) Elliott, it was a no-brainer.”
Wilson was joined on his final three recruiting trips by center Malik Sumter. Georgia State was the final stop, and it was Sumter who turned to Wilson one day and said, “You might as well do it.” They both signed, and Sumter became the team’s starting center.
Wilson was one of the defensive stars when Georgia State played Army in 2019. The Panthers won 28-21 on a wet, sloshy field. Wilson stood firm in the middle against Army’s methodical, physical running attack and had perhaps the best game of his career. He had 10 tackles and helped Georgia State limit the Cadets to 278 yards rushing.
“I just remember the physicality of the game,” Wilson said. “It wasn’t like any other game, it was very physical. I remember getting up the next morning and not being able to walk. Now we just happen to be opening up for my final collegiate season with Army.”
Wilson expects to see more of the hard-nosed running attack Sept. 4, when the Panthers host Army in the season opener at Center Parc Stadium. In 2020 Army went 9-3, lost to West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl, and ranked fifth in the nation with 254.7 yards rushing per game. And since the Cadets are the opening opponent, the Panthers have had additional time in camp to get ready for the triple-option.
“It is positioned nicely to have Army there as the first contest,” Elliott said. “It gives us a little bit of time to go out and do a little more preparation. We certainly understand you have to be sound against the triple-option and that style of play.”
Wilson, a 6-foot, 275-pound senior, will be starting for his third season and is a key cog in helping the run defense continue to impress. Last season he had 27 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in eight games, missing the final two games because of an injury. With Wilson as the anchor in the middle, Georgia State held four opponents to fewer than 100 yards and limited Troy to 40.
He was an honorable-mention All-Sun Belt Conference choice in 2018 and a third-team pick in 2020. He was chosen to the preseason all-conference team.
“Every day he brings everything he’s got,” teammate Quavian White said. “He’s the kind of person you can feed off his energy. He’s a good dude. He does everything he’s got to do and does it the right way.”
Wilson is playing this season as a graduate student. He was driven to complete his degree in economics over the summer. Despite being encouraged to take a break over the summer, Wilson completed the final three classes he needed to graduate.
“I just really wanted to get it done before the season,” Wilson said. “All summer long I grinded, all the time with football and the three summer classes, just studying tremendously hard. I ended up an A and two B’s. I did it.”
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