It's not a name you instantly recognize. He doesn't call plays or determine the game plan. But in college football's new era, USF football's Carter Wilson, executive director of player personnel, will have great influence on the program's direction.
Wilson and his colleagues are liaisons with Coach Brian Hartline and the USF football coaching staff. Together, they evaluate players, set a recruiting strategy, administer an NIL budget strategy and manage the roster. With 41 new Bulls arriving through the transfer portal, Wilson's work has been prevalent already.
"We essentially oversee roster construction and make sure we're building the team in the right now and in the future, through the lens of the head coach (Hartline),'' Wilson said.
Wilson, who worked for three seasons as assistant general manager for University of Cincinnati football, connected with Hartline through mutual acquaintances in December. There was a shared vision — and a shared belief in USF's promising football future — so Wilson almost immediately decided on heading to Tampa.
"Carter makes it all possible,'' Hartline said. "Between this new model of college football and the rev share, how we manage the acquisition of players and work with the recruiting department to get everybody in school, he handles a lot.
"Early in the (hiring) process, Carter was brought up to me by some people I really trust. He was probably one of the earliest guys I talked to. He was a young guy who got rave reviews … and he has executed on everything I thought he would (at USF). The best thing about Carter is he's dying to grow and do more. The eagerness to be the best in the country can be lost over time if you don't get the right personalities. I'm confident that Carter is (the right guy for the job).''
Wilson's path was unconventional.
Originally from Bangor, Maine, Wilson's family moved to Northeast Florida when he was 10. He attended Ponte Vedra Nease High School (where Tim Tebow once played) and enrolled at the University of Florida, where he soon clamored to somehow join the Gator football program.
He cold-called and made contact with various behind-the-scenes departments. As any sports job-seeker realizes, it could've ended right there.
But it didn't.
"The recruiting department was the first to reach back out to me … and the rest is history,'' Wilson said.
Working in the era of head coaches Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen, Wilson learned the UF football business from the ground up, soaking in information like a sponge, asking lots of questions and honing his craft during four years as a student and another post-graduate volunteer season.
Wilson quickly developed an impressive reputation. He moved to Louisville for one season, then shifted to Cincinnati for a two-season run as director of scouting before his promotion to UC football's assistant general manager. In all, Wilson brings 10 years of recruiting and player personnel experience to USF.
"At USF, you're looking at a football program, an athletic department and really, an entire university that's on the rise,'' Wilson said. "It's not just where we're at right now, but moving forward into the future. With the incredible weather and unbelievable business opportunities around the city, you're looking at a really great spot here in Tampa.''
Wilson said January's roster-building activities was like "drinking through a fire hose,'' but he was heartened by the collaboration between his department and USF's coaching staff.
"We work really well together,'' Wilson said. "We feel like we got the right guys in the building and that was due to the great working relationship that we've built here, a little bit on the fly. It really starts with the people in our department. I'm blessed to have a great group of people with me in the trenches, day-in and day-out.''
Wilson praised the work of director of recruiting Jenna Learn and her department members (including Krystian Garner, LaRiyah Petty and Julia Blue), plus the personnel department of Kyle Steinhoff (director of scouting and evaluation), Kyle Fahey (assistant director of scouting), Will Shields (coordinator of scouting strategy) and TyGee Leach (director of player personnel/high school relations).
Wilson added that both departments have "an incredible group of students under them that make all of our jobs much easier from a roster construction standpoint.''
Which brings up an important question:
What are the priorities as USF football seeks to build its roster?
"We discovered pretty early that Coach Hartline and I have similar goals and similar principles to get there,'' Wilson said.
Character — "It's broken down into two parts, the personal character and the football character. You only get to be around guys (potential players) for a short period of time, but you're judging them on both aspects and making sure they're a good fit.
"We're looking for the right makeup, the competitive spirit, the mental toughness, the physical toughness, the dependability, the passion for the game and, more than anything, the willingness to bet on themselves, time-in and time-out. If someone has that internal drive to maximize their potential, they usually elevate the waters around them while making the team not just the sum of its parts, but greater than that.''
Academics — Maybe it's not talked about nearly as much as previous eras, but Wilson said it remains important.
"We want guys who just have a strong history of doing the work that they need to do. In all areas, they continue to strive and be the best version of themselves that they can be.''
Football Ability — "From a talent standpoint, we're trying to get the biggest, strongest and fastest guys in the building, so the individual parts of the team are as good as they can be. We have different metrics that we establish as baselines. In the broadest terms, we're looking for length, growth potential and explosiveness. And making sure they have the frame and body types that our strength staff can develop.''
Then it comes down to roster management, making sure all the positions are properly filled — with reinforcement plans in the pipeline through the college transfer and high-school ranks.
"More than anything, it's the changing landscape, right?'' Wilson said. "You're either going to embrace it or run from it. It keeps everything fresh and you're looking at roster construction and team-building through a different lens, almost day to day sometimes.
"At the end of the day, it boils down to the people. Coach Hartline, the person we are selling the hardest, he's an unbelievable human being. It doesn't take much salesmanship. Just getting players around him, they feel the vibe immediately. It's infectious. We've got one of the most incredible capital projects (on-campus stadium) and a new football facility being built. We have the leadership of Rob Higgins (CEO of athletics), who's fully on board with the modern era of college football. At USF, we are in a very good place.''
Carter Wilson, a name you might not immediately recognize, is in the middle of it all.
–#GoBulls–
