Illinois Football Commit Bests Olympic Gold Medalist Quincy Wilson on Track

Tywan Cox, a 2025 Illini recruit from Florida, chased down Quincy Wilson in a 4x4 relay at the Florida Relays

Apr 5, 2025; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tywan Cox of Miami Northwestern (left) defeats Quincy Wilson of Bullis on the anchor of the boys 4 x 400m relay, 3:08.74 to 3:09.97, during the Florida Relays at James G. Pressly Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry can be absolutely positive of one thing when it comes to 2025 cornerback recruit Tywan Cox:

He is not getting beat deep.

A Florida native and younger brother of current Illini cornerback Torrie Cox Jr., Tywan isn't just a star on the gridiron but also on the track.

Although Tywan Cox has already put together notable performances throughout his high school track career, the crown jewel came last week in a 400-meter relay race at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida.

A member of the Miami Northwestern 400-meter relay team, Cox ran anchor for his group – and was seeking revenge.

In the preliminary round, Cox’s team was matched up with the Bullis School, which was anchored by the premier talent in amateur track: Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson.

In last summer's 2024 Olympics, the then-17-year old Wilson was a member of Team USA’s 4x4 gold medal squad.

Now, Wilson was facing off against competition his age, back in the United States, and was expectedly dominant – at first.

In the preliminary, Wilson led his group to a 3:09.98, a finish that blew past Miami Northwestern’s 3:11.94.

Then in the final, with the meet on the line, Wilson ran a blazing 46.24, and his team slightly bested its preliminary-round effort, finishing at 3:09.97.

Yet it wasn’t enough, as Miami Northwestern ran a scorching 3:08.74, again anchored by none other than Cox, who ran a blazing 45.14 split and chased down Wilson in a cinematic finish.

Olympian Quincy Wilson hawked by Illinois football commit Tywan Cox. 😳 pic.twitter.com/LD3jIJ7uZI

— Ossacin’s Ducktail (@OssacinDucktail) April 6, 2025

Cox’s split in the final was the fastest of any at the competition and beat his first-round time by more than three seconds.

This fall, the multi-talented Cox figures to translate his speed on the track to the Memorial Stadium turf, and potentially step into a first-year role in the secondary for the Illini.

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