On the rise: Wilson makes top 20 for Bednarik Award, keeps impressing scouts

Tyree Wilson is going to have a lot on his mind over the next several months. Such is the case when your name is on the minds and tongues of NFL draft scouts and analysts.

The Texas Tech defensive end is among 20 semifinalists announced Tuesday for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in college football. Much was expected of Wilson this season, and he's delivered so far with 51 tackles, which is second on the team, 11 1/2 tackles for loss, which leads the Big 12, and 6 1/2 sacks, which ranks second in the conference.

What jumps out to scouts just as much is Wilson's physique: 6-foot-6, 275 pounds with speed and power.

Though Wilson has a year of eligibility left after this season, the chances of him using it seem unlikely. He was being talked about before the season as a potential first-round draft choice in 2023, and he's enhanced that status through the first eight games of the season.

"All that's pretty much noise," Wilson said after the Red Raiders' Tuesday practice. "What's important is my team, Texas Tech. I live every day to come get better for my team and not worry about the NFL, because if we do good here, the NFL will still be there."

In a weekly draft-panel discussion published Tuesday on ESPN's website, Wilson is prominent. To the question, "Which prospect are you moving up your board?," veteran analyst Mel Kiper Jr. named the Tech defensive end.

"He has rare power for an edge rusher with a 6-foot-6 frame, and he gets good push in the run game," Kiper said. "He's an explosive player with the lateral quickness to change direction to chase down quarterbacks with ease, too."

Kiper concluded that Wilson is not far away from moving onto his "Big Board" of top 25 prospects.

To the question of, "Which prospect are you higher on than the early consensus among draft analysts?," ESPN's Jordan Reid also named Wilson. Reid cited the production Wilson is starting to put with his raw tools, the agility needed to rush or drop into coverage and the potential to fit in the NFL as a 3-4 outside linebacker or a 5-technique defensive end in a 4-3.

"Wilson is my No. 7-ranked prospect," Reid wrote, "and as the pre-draft process progresses, don't be surprised if he starts to get top-10-pick buzz."

That's quite a rise from August 2020, when Wilson arrived on campus as a transfer from Texas A&M. During his redshirt freshman season for the Aggies, Wilson played in 12 games and was credited with 12 tackles.

"Man, I remember the first day that dude came onto campus, and he couldn't even survive a warmup," Tech defensive tackle Tony Bradford said. "That's how bad of conditioning and out of shape he was. And now he's one of the leaders on this team and possibly going to be an all-American and everything this season.

"I'm just so happy to see him progress in life and especially as a football player. It's been amazing playing beside him."

Now it's not uncommon to see Wilson brandish his power, using a bull rush to shove an offensive tackle back into the quarterback, or his speed to chase down plays from the back side. He said his best pass rush move is the long arm, using his wingspan to create space from a pass blocker and then working a counter move back inside to go for the quarterback.

Wilson's 11 1/2 tackles for loss are the most by a Red Raiders defensive lineman or edge player through the first eight games of the season since at least 2000, according to Tech research.

No wonder scouts are so intrigued.

"Just a freak," Bradford said. "Freak athlete on the edge. Somebody that I'm sure offensive coordinators question how they're going to stop him, because you get him going, then game over. You watch him and watch how he practices and how he plays, it's kind of something that you've never really seen before until you look at guys' film like Myles Garrett or Von Miller and all them type of guys."

Wilson knows there's more out there, though, more ways to get better, which will help both him and the team.

"I've made strides in the run and the pass game, just being more dominant all around," he said. "But I'm not pleased. There's still more weeks to build and keep improving my game."

College football

Who: Texas Tech at TCU

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

Records: Texas Tech 4-4, 2-3 in the Big 12; TCU 8-0, 5-0

Rankings (CFP/AP/coaches poll): Texas Tech unranked in all; TCU 7/7/7

Line: TCU by 9 1/2

TV: Fox

Last game: Baylor 45, Texas Tech 17; TCU 41, West Virginia 31

Last meeting: TCU 52, Texas Tech 31 last year in Lubbock.

Fast fact: TCU's Sonny Dykes is the first head coach in Big 12 history to start 8-0 in his first season as a head coach in the conference.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: On the rise: Wilson makes top 20 for Bednarik Award, keeps impressing scouts