Shortly after it was announced that North Carolina State had given him a release from his scholarship, quarterback/minor league baseball player Russell Wilson reportedly visited Auburn and seemingly maintains an interest in joining the defending national champs as a one-year “mercenary”.
While not mentioning Wilson by name as that would constitute an NCAA no-no, Tigers head coach Gene Chizik made it perfectly clear Tuesday that he would add any player he felt could help his football program, even if it was for just a single season.
“When it comes to the recruiting part of it, my job as the head coach at Auburn is to make sure we’re going to develop our roster the best way we see fit to help Auburn win,” Chizik said during today’s SEC spring meetings. “So as we go down the recruiting road, whoever gives us that opportunity to win at Auburn -- whether it’s a junior college transfer or high school (player) or whoever we feel fits the bill to continuously improve Auburn’s football team to give us a chance to compete for a championship -- then obviously that’s my job and I"m for it.”
Even as Chizik tiptoed around mentioning Wilson specifically and by name, he did say that no time frame has been discussed as far as a “drop-dead” date for adding a player at Wilson’s position.
“If we evaluate everything and at that particular time, whenever it would be, if we feel like it would be an opportunity for someone to help our football team, then we’d be all for it,” he said. “But no, we have not had those discussions.”
Given the wildly successful run to a BcS title last season, thanks mainly to the one-and-done dominance of Cam Newton, the Tigers should be more than open to adding a player with the talent Wilson possesses. Especially when Wilson is viewed in the light of a post-Newton position that is, and we’re being charitable here, fair-to-middlin’ at this point in time.
There’s also the question of whether Wilson will even use his final year of collegiate football eligibility this season. Wilson, who’s also reportedly been eyeing Wisconsin as well, is currently a member of the Colorado Rockies organization and in the midst of a minor league season. While it’s previously been reported that there’s a “95-percent certainty” that he will play football this fall, the Rockies are under the impression that he will remain a member of the organization through this season -- which ends in early September, around the time the football season commences -- and beyond.
Additionally, if Wilson were to leave the Rockies, it’s likely the MLB club would be contractually entitled to a significant portion of his reported $250,000 signing bonus and please spare me the “we’re quite certain Auburn could come up with that kind cash” tripe.
