Interesting…
The race for Caleb Wilson seems down to two schools: The Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
There isn’t a known winner yet, but there could be a way for one of the programs to get ahead.
A popular NIL initiative called Fanstake provides a way for players to get paid to choose specific schools, and it also allows you to see who has paid a player on behalf of the program they desire the player to pursue.
There are no guarantees that a player would go there, though, so it could just be a wasted effort in the end.
Nonetheless, Wilson does have an account, and it seems like the NIL platform is growing in popularity. Fellow Kentucky target Nate Ament also has an account. Ament is down to 11 schools and still considering the Wildcats.
Another Kentucky target, five-star Caleb Wilson, also has a @FanstakeHQ account set up https://t.co/5BGh5KYmpY https://t.co/hpGAHaJOjB
— Jacob Polacheck (@PolacheckKSR) January 15, 2025
Something like this really only makes sense in the recruiting process for fans to try to swing the opinion of the players who aren’t already committed, many of which will be going to high-profile programs like Wilson.
It also emphasizes the ability of individuals to show their support for the players and where they want them to attend. Wilson is one of the best prospects in college hoops, and while this might not have a big swing, it will be interesting to see if this service can make an impact.
Wilson, who is playing at Holy Innocents Episcopal School, is the top-ranked player from the state of Georgia and the fifth-best player nationally via 247 Sports Composite.
That type of high-profile nature will get him someone in the Fanstake, and it’ll be interesting to see how this will impact the timeline for those recruits moving forward.