Texas A&M is losing a big man on the offensive line this fall. Offensive lineman Ishmael Wilson will be transferring to Big 12 champion Baylor according to multiple reports. 247 Sports was the first to report the transfer news on Tuesday.
Wilson was not listed on the updated football roster on Texas A&M’s website on Tuesday. Wilson later confirmed he was no longer a part of the Aggies program and is heading to Baylor. A desire to be a bit closer to home came into play for the 300-pound lineman.
“I’m not at A&M anymore,” Wilson told GigEm247 on Tuesday. “I’m going to Baylor. I’m filling out my paperwork right now. A lot of schools want me but [Baylor is] close to home.”
Wilson is from Dallas, which is just a little more than 90 miles away from Baylor compared to the nearly 170-mile trip to College Station. Although he sat out the 2013 season with a redshirt, Wilson will be ineligible to play in the 2014 season due to standard NCAA transfer rules. He will, however, have three years of eligibility remaining once he becomes eligible again in 2015 for the Bears.
Rivals.com rated Wilson with four stars in Texas A&M’s Class of 2013. This would seem to be a key loss for the Aggies, who enter the summer still trying to figure out the quarterback situation. Whoever ends up being Texas A&M’s starting quarterback, having a dependable offensive line protecting him will be the key. The Aggies have had a good string of offensive linemen going through the program, so Texas A&M should be able to plug in and move forward without Wilson, who could end up having a terrific impact at Baylor once he gets on the field.