Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville RB Commit Jamarice Wilder

Louisville Cardinals On SI breaks down 2025 Louisville football running back commit Jamarice Wilder.

Venice running back Jamarice Wilder gets an edge on Sarasota's Brian Klingel during a game last season. / MATT HOUSTON/HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is back on the board in the Class of 2025, as Jamarice Wilder has committed to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Jamarice Wilder
Position: Running Back
Measurables: 5-foot-9, 180 pounds
School: Venice (Fla.) HS
Top Offers: Colorado, Michigan State, Pitt, UCF, West Virginia
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8647 (1,039th)

Jamarice Wilder's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: For what Wilder does lack in height, he makes up for in his overall build/base frame. He already has good overall muscle tone at this stage in his development, and even has the potential to add a touch more if need be.

Athleticism: Wilder does have good open field speed, but probably not as fast as some of hie fellow backs around this height. That being said, he has great overall footwork, which gives him some well above average lateral agility. He's also got a very strong lower body, which is evident on a number of his runs.

Instincts: Wilder's calling card is unquestionably his ball carrier vision. He's an incredibly patient runner, and is more than willing to wait a just long enough for the hole to develop for him to cut through, or follow his blockers that are paving the way. While his speed/burst is good but not great, his one-cut style of running can help him get up field relatively quickly. Once he finds the hole, it's north-south for him, and he does a good job navigating downfield to find secondary and tertiary holes/rushing lanes. He's also incredibly elusive in the fact that his legs are always churning, which when coupled with his lower body strength, can help him escape from contact/would be tacklers and keep the play moving.

Polish: The majority of Wilder's runs in Venice's offense come on outside zone runs, but he has shown the potential to be able to get yardage on runs in between the tackles. He also has experience catching passes, but isn't super well versed here. As you can imagine, Wilder possesses very good balance - both on contact and when navigating rushing lanes. Because of his rushing style and his physical lower body, he can also shed arm tackles with relative ease, and is good at not being brought down even against more fundamental tackles. As previously mentioned, Wilder does have good open field speed, but his top gear isn't as fast as other running backs with his measurables. Additionally, while his change of direction is well above average, his actual burst on his cuts is just okay.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a pickup that does have some potential down the line for Louisville. While Wilder does need to develop a faster top gear, his ability to navigate the line and find the open hole/lane is phenomenal. He's a good compliment to fellow 2025 running back commit Jaylin Brown.

(Photo of Jamarice Wilder: MATT HOUSTON/HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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