Kirby Smart has recruited linebackers for a long time.
He used to look for certain things - size, speed, toughness, ability to read keys. Some of Smart's Alabama linebackers, names such as CJ Mosley, Reuben Foster, and Dont'a Hightower, come to mind.
But in modern college football, Smart's priorities at the position are different.
"Now it goes speed, intelligence, space player, size," Smart said. "It just changes the order. It's a priority to have length. It's a priority to be able to match up and play in space. You've got to be able to run, cover down. I mean, you're in conflict every play. You've got this gap, but you've also got to play the bubble. You've got to see counters, pulls, RPOs. It's absolutely insane how much you have to defend now compared to 2012."
Smart has altered his approach accordingly, resulting in uber-athletic inside linebackers in Athens. Sophomore Raylen Wilson is just one of the latest examples.
Wilson starred on the gridiron for Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida. He also competed on the track, posting times of 10.91 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.07 seconds in the 200-meter dash.
Wilson's self-described biggest strengths are speed and athleticism. Now in his second year in Athens, he's continuing to develop the mental side of his game.
"Really my football knowledge," Wilson said of where he's developed the most in Athens. "Like being around Coach Schumann (Glenn Schumann, defensive coordinator), Coach Smart, and pretty much all defense's coaches, you'll pick up a couple nuggets — not a couple, really a lot because they throw a lot at you. I feel like the nuggets they gave me is really the biggest thing.”
Wilson added that senior Smael Mondon has been a huge influence on him on and off the field. He also enjoys watching NFL stars such as Fred Warner, Roquan Smith, and Denzel Perryman.
As he steps into a bigger role in 2024, Wilson is continuing to embrace his responsbilities in defending modern college offenses.
"With inside linebacker, we got to make different calls while still knowing what our job is and what we've got to do making sure everybody's in the right place," Wilson said. "Like, my first key is just run or pass and after that it's just do my job, and if a play comes to me, I've got to make it.”
