The 6-6, 245 pound athlete from Legends High School in Parker, Colorado tweeted his commitment Sunday morning. The Huskers had impressed him during the spring game, especially defensive coordinator Bob Diaco and defensive line coach John Parrella, and the decision became an easy one to make. In doing so, he decided he was done with visits elsewhere.
Wildeman is listed as a 3-star defensive end with an 86.2 rating per Hail Varsity’s national composite. He has plenty of goals for his senior year to keep improving and is already looking forward to the day he steps on campus as a Husker. He spoke with Hail Varsity about his visit, his goals and just how firm he is on his commitment to Nebraska.
Q: How was your visit to Nebraska?
TW: It was incredible. Everyone there was very friendly and it was a great time.
Q: Now that you’re committed, what were you looking for in a program?
TW: I looked at three main things and the first is to have a good education program. The second was to have good, fun coaches whose mottos I agree with and who I like to be around and shadow. The third was tradition. Nebraska definitely fit every single one of those categories.
Q: Speaking of tradition, what did you thinking of the 70,000+ fans at the spring game?
TW: It was amazing. I’ve never seen that many people in the stadium before, even for a practice. That’s insane. As soon as I stepped on the field, I had goose bumps all over. It was incredible.
Q: You plan to visit again this fall. Are you excited to see the stadium on a real game day?
TW: I can’t even imagine it being a packed house. That’s going to be great [to see].
Q: Which coach stood out to you during your visit?
TW: I would either say Coach Diaco or Coach Parrella. Their mentalities and how much they want to win and their philosophies.
Q: Did Parrella talk to you about his time as a Husker?
TW: Yes, he did. That was definitely a big part of it. Coach Diaco also told me, ‘I’ve been coaching all over the nation and there is really no place like Nebraska. From facilities to everything else, it’s [at the top].’
Q: What do you expect people at home to think about your commitment?
TW: I expect a lot of love. I think a lot of people will be excited. I’m hoping it won’t change anything because I have a lot of goals that I’ve set for myself that I want to achieve this football season. When I head to Lincoln, I’ll then hopefully be ready for it.
Q: As Nebraska’s seventh commitment of the 2018 class, what did you think of your future teammates?
TW: I talked to a few of them. Great guys, great class acts and I can’t wait to get on campus and start establishing some relationships with them. I’m very excited about that.
Q: Any group chats yet for your class?
TW: Not yet. It’ll probably start soon. I don’t really know when that’ll happen but I’m going to keep in contact with them.
Q: It feels like Brendan Radley-Hiles might start it…
TW: I agree. It will probably be Bookie. He seems like he’s very excited for it. It’s great to have him. He’s an incredible player and an incredible person.
Q: Any goals for your senior year?
TW: I really want to start getting faster and stronger. That’s No. 1 of course. The second is to win state. With that, I just have to get the guys together and rally the troops and get them excited and on the same boat as everyone else. That’s pretty much it. Once I get that going, it’ll be good.
Q: Do you plan to visit any other schools?
TW: I’m not going to visit any other schools. I am very serious about Nebraska.
Q: What do you want fans to know about you?
TW: I want them to know that I’m 100 percent committed to Nebraska. Don’t listen to any of the rumors or speculation. I’m 100 percent committed to Nebraska.
Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.
