Prized OL Wilkin Formby Discusses Visit To Rocky Top

Tennessee hosted 6'7", 295lbs Northridge (Ala.) offensive tackle Wilkin Formby this weekend for a visit. The standout from the Yellow Hammer state holds over 30 Division 1 offers and has been hearing from the Vols for months. He discussed the trip and more with Volunteer Country. 

"It was a very productive trip," Formby said of his time spent at Tennessee on Friday evening and Saturday. " I got to see and take away a lot from Coach Elarbee breaking down film in the film room. Right when I got there, he had on my tape. We broke it down, and he compared my tape to the practice tape at Tennessee, and it was really stuff like that that stood out to me."

Formby enjoyed his time spent with the Tennessee offensive line coach, and he liked what he saw from the offensive scheme as well.

"He (Elarbee) has a lot of energy, and he knows what he is doing upfront and how to coach guys up," Formby said. "I can definitely see me fitting in the offense well. It is a very high-tempo offense, and it calls for athletes. I feel like being athletic is a stronger side of my game. Coach Elarbee is a great coach and could mold me into the right player to fit in that offense if I were to go there. The offense gets you ready for the pros as well. They do a lot of play calls and formations that you see in the pros."

Formby also had a chance to meet with Tennessee's 2023 quarterback commitment, Nico Iamaleava, during the visit as well. The two connected right away. 

"I am not going to lie; from the moment I saw him and his family, it was like we had known each other for years," Formby said of the meeting with Iamaleava. "We were real close off the start. I love his family, honestly. He is a great guy. He is a really good player, and a great quarterback like that can take a program like Tennessee that is upcoming and doing well to the next level."

So coming out of the two day trip, were the Vols able to help their cause for the prized offensive tackle prospect?

"I would say they helped themselves simply because the aspect of me seeing them coach and seeing them play in person is the most important thing going into this decision because that is what a day in the life of a Tennessee player would be like," Formby said of the Vols standing coming out of the week. "Just seeing how I would be coached up and practicing. It is one of the most important visits you can have is one of these spring practices."

Formby does not have visit plans nailed down, but he plans to visit more schools on his list unofficially this month, then take official visits in June before going into decision mode before his junior season. Formby hopes to return to Knoxville for one of his five official visits. 

"Personally, right now, I have just been praying a lot that God will show me where he wants me to go," Formby said of how he is approaching narrowing his focus to one school. "That is the most important thing to me. I am just praying that I can have that decision in my heart. As far as schools, I don't want to be lied to or over recruited. I want to have a strong relationship with the staff and for it to feel like home."