No. 4 ranked Caleb Wilson talks blue-blood recruitment, possible visits
Caleb Wilson jumped to No. 4 in the recent 2025 On3 150 ranking update. The 6-foot-9 forward played up in age at the 17U level with the Georgia Stars program in the Peach Invitational (P.I.T.) portion of Peach Jam Week. He averaged 16.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
“I’m a big wing, a big playmaker who can make things happen,” Wilson told On3. “My strength has really come along with my conditioning. I’m able to handle the ball this summer against smaller guards and get to my spots. I watch a lot of Jayson Tatum. I like how he incorporates the mid-post and the wing into his game.”
On3 caught up with five-star Caleb Wilson of Atlanta (Ga.) Holy Innocents after a recent live viewing to get updated on his recruitment.
Wilson talks Duke and Kentucky
Caleb Wilson’s most recent offer, just this week, came from Duke.
“I first talked to Duke after my first EYBL game this year. I played against TSF, and of course, they had Isaiah Evans at the time, who is committed to Duke. Amile Jefferson, who left, and now Chris Carrawell a lot.
“I know a lot about their program. I watched a lot of Christian Laettner growing up, a lot of his highlights. He was perceived as a villain, which is something I like. So I know a lot about Duke and the program.”
Kentucky extended Wilson an offer at the end of June after watching him perform at the NBPA Top-100 camp. He says the scholarship from UK surprised him.
“Kentucky caught me off guard because that’s a huge school,” he says. “They’re an SEC school, in a physical conference. It was a shocker.
“I’ve been talking to Chin Coleman. Then after the Top-100 Camp, I ended up getting on the phone with Calipari and he offered me then. I’ve watched (Kentucky) a lot. I like to watch college basketball because I feel like that’s where I’m going to go next. So I like how (Calipari) uses his players and how he trusts them. He allows his players to play free within the system.”
Wilson has several visits in mind
“I don’t have any visits set yet, but I want to go see UNC, Alabama, and Tennessee.”
North Carolina: “They had Michael Jordan; he went there. I love the brand. I like the coach too. Coach Hubert (Davis) and I have had good conversations so far. We talk a lot about the things that they do there, ‘The Carolina Way,’ both on and off the court, and that is appealing to me. He tells me he likes my play style.”
Alabama: “Coach Nate Oats seems like he really likes me and my game. I’ve been able to build a relationship with their staff, and they come to see me play a lot. I can see myself playing in that Brandon Miller role they had last year. I see myself being a better defensive player than him, but I can see myself being like him offensively, how he uses ball screens and space, which is why I can see myself fitting into their system.”
Tennessee: “Coach Rick Barnes used to coach Kevin Durant at Texas, and he often compares me to him. I’m interested in seeing his plan to mold me and get me to KD’s level.”
Wilson discusses visits to the in-state programs
“I have only taken unofficial visits to Georgia and Georgia Tech so far,” Wilson said.
Georgia Tech: “Coach (Damon) Staudamire used to coach with the Celtics. So when I went over there, he showed me some old Summer League clips of Jayson Tatum and then some clips of me over these last couple of years. He showed me how we do similar things and how our body types are the same, and how he thinks I can eventually get to that point.”
Georgia: “I grew up a fan of Georgia football, I used to be a big Jake Fromm fan. That visit was pretty cool. I got to take a couple of pictures there. Coach Mike White seems to really like me and my game, and I’ve been able to talk with most of the coaches on the staff too.”
In his words
“I’ll probably start taking my official visits in September,” Caleb Wilson said. “I don’t really have a time frame for when I want to commit by, maybe mid senior year. I’ll want to see what all players these schools are getting and what other players they’re bringing in.
“I want to go to a school that has a big brand, but the school also needs to believe in me; that’s everything. When a coach believes in you and you trust him, that is when good things happen. I’ll look closely at how they play and how they’re looking to play me. I don’t want to be put in a box because of how tall I am or just used as a shooter because of how I can shoot it. I want to play for a coach that believes in me and is going to develop my game.”