Owensboro 2022 quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has more than 165K views on his commitment video on Twitter as the Red Devil standout verbally committed to Rutgers on Friday afternoon.
For the top-rated dual-quarterback in Kentucky, Wimsatt said it’s nice to know the process has found a conclusion.
“It feels good. It feels like a lot of weight is lifted off my shoulders,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure, all eyes on me. It’s a bunch of weight off my shoulders so it’s really good.”
Red Devil coach Jay Fallin said he knew it was a relief for his soon-to-be senior quarterback.
“It is a step along the way but it is an important step and it is part of the realization of a goal that Gavin has sacrificed a great deal for, that his parents have sacrificed a great deal for and his teammates,” he said. “We’re all just very happy for him to have this opportunity to go play Division I college football at a great university, a great program and a great conference. We’re all just so very happy for him. It’s a great day for him, his family and our football program.”
In addition to the Scarlet Knights, Wimsatt’s final list of schools were Louisville, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Oregon, West Virginia and Cincinnati.
For Wimsatt, it was who would lead him that helped his ultimate decision.
“The coaching staff as a whole, they’re really family first and I was really comfortable with the whole coaching staff,” he said. “When I went up there and visited, I saw myself there.”
Rutgers is led by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head Greg Schiano and offensive coordinate Sean Gleeson.
Wimsatt said the duo is the thing he’s looking forward to the most at the next level.
While Fallin has led Wimsatt the last three years, Wimsatt has also been coached by numerous others in all-star games and different camps.
He said a relationship with the coaching staff is very important.
“It makes things way easier,” he said. “It’s easier to communicate. Coach Schiano and coach Gleeson, I’m really comfortable with those guys.”
Other than Wimsatt’s family, not many have been around the junior gunslinger as much as Fallin.
The Red Devil leader said the Scarlet Knights aren’t getting just a quarterback to lead them on the field.
“In addition to being an outstanding football player, he’s just a great young man,” he said. “He’s just got a great heart, cares deeply about his teammates. He gets just as excited about his teammates successes as he does his own. Does things the right way, shows up on time, works hard, puts in the work, wants to be coached. He just does everything the right way and Rutgers is going to get a really good one in Gavin and not just as a football player but as an outstanding young man.”
When Wimsatt made his announcement, it made waves on Twitter, including some NFL players that once called Rutgers home in Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty.
Wimsatt said the reception he got from Scarlet Knight nation was nice.
“It feels good,” he said. “It feels like I’m really part of a family now. They definitely gave me a nice welcome.”
While some were thrilled with the decision of Wimsatt, others were not as they felt their school was snubbed.
Wimsatt said he doesn’t pay attentions to the keyboard warriors.
“I don’t really read comments,” he said. “It kind of makes me want to go harder, prove them wrong.”
Even though all the talk surrounding Wimsatt right now is about Rutgers, he still has one more season at Owensboro as a state championship is on his mind.
For that to happen, Wimsatt said they have to look in the mirror.
“I think focus on us,” he said. “We got to make sure we’re getting each other better. We’ve got to make sure our foot is on the gas. All gas, no brakes. Focus on us, make sure we’re getting better every day and push ourselves to the limit.”
Fallin said he knows Wimsatt is exciting about being able to focus on his final year as a Red Devil.
“As big of a blessing as it is to be as highly recruited as Gavin is, it’s also very stressful,” he said. “It is a relief to have made his decision and to have announced it and it now allows him to focus on preparing for his senior season and having the best senior season he can possibly have and I know he’s really excited about that. But I also know he’s just really grateful to have had all the opportunities he’s been presented with throughout his recruitment and I know he’s really excited to make this announcement, make this decision and be ready to move forward.”
Fallin said the recruitment of Wimsatt is something his younger plays could learn from in a multitude of ways.
“We think that success begets success,” he said. “Having more eyes on the program and more recruiting eyes on the program is good for everybody and I just would want anybody who watched how Gavin handled this process from the outside in is that he handled it with great class and he handled it while still remaining grounded and humbled and while remaining a good teammate. That’s what I would want not only Gavin’s teammates but any young athlete that was observing this to see that you can be very successful and still remain very humble, focused and grounded.”
Wimsatt’s area code will change from 270 to 506 after he’s done walking the halls of OHS but when the day comes that he takes the field at SHI Stadium, he’ll never forget the people who helped him get to where he is.
“Knowing my mom and dad sacrificed a lot of their time and money, just investing in me,” he said. “My two brothers, they’re big supporters. My family really helped a lot, my grandma and everything.”
Wimsatt and the Red Devils open the season Aug. 20 at Rash Stadium against the St. Xavier Tigers.
