The Future of Aggie Football: Meet QB Nick Wilds-Lawing.
The North Carolina A&T football team has grown to be a fan favorite across the Carolinas. With three straight HBCU national titles under their belt, the Aggies attract talent all over the country to keep its winning culture going.
Some of the best talent that comes out of Aggie-land has been from right in our backyard — Tarik Cohen (Bunn, N.C.) & Lamar Raynard (High Point, N.C.) just to name a few. Recently, I came across another local star: an incoming freshman who plans on leaving his mark in the A&T record books.
Nicholai Wilds-Lawing is a 6’3” Quarterback from Concord, N.C.
Wilds-Lawing, who goes by Nick, led Northwest Cabarrus High School (Concord) to a 12-2 record as a senior and threw for 2,622 yards. He completed 63.2 percent of his passes accumulating 29 passing touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 5,374 yards, 62 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,594 yards and 30 touchdowns. He earned six college offers, but only one was at the level he thought he should be playing at.
“A&T was my only D1 offer,” Wilds-Lawing said when asked about his recruiting. “It was stressful not having a 3.0 GPA. A bunch of coaches passed on me, and a lot of power five schools wanted me to play receiver.”
Nick is the epitome of a dual-threat QB. He manages the passing responsibilities at a high rate and puts up exceptional numbers on the ground; his footwork is phenomenal, and he is very confident in the pocket.
“I have been playing football since I was five. I started playing QB because I was the biggest kid on the field and I would just run QB sneaks. Eventually, I started training to become an actual quarterback, and now I'm here.”
Beginning July 1, 2021, A&T will no longer be in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and will join the Big South Conference. This move will open the door for the Aggies to play better competition and compete for bigger bowl game opportunities. Most alumni were not for the move.
Many believe it will take the culture away from the school and that the university is only doing it for money. When asked about the change, Wilds-Lawing simply said: “I understand the move. It’s hard to get (FCS) competition from the MEAC. I'm ready for whatever.”
The move to the Big South was a game-changer for HBCU sports. In recent weeks, we’ve started to see more big-time recruits start to appreciate HBCUs and even make their pledge to attend them. Class of 2020 five-star basketball prospect Makur Maker verbally committed to Howard University (Washington, D.C.) on July 3 via Twitter, picking the Bison over college basketball powerhouses UCLA, Kentucky, and Memphis. ESPN’s No. 16 ranked recruit is the highest-ranked player to commit to a Historically Black College or University since ESPN began tracking rankings in 2007.
“On my official visit at A&T, I saw how close-knit the community was and how the campus is a big family,” Wilds-Lawing said. “I feel like players should go to HBCUs and show that we ultimately make up the majority of these professional leagues. Our conferences are just as competitive as theirs.”
Currently, A&T has a tight race for the starting QB spot in the fall. Junior Jalen Fowler developed behind veteran quarterbacks Lamar Raynard and Kylil Carter over the past two seasons. Last year, he took over for an injured Carter against Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.) where he was 8-for-15 for 56 yards passing. He threw his first career touchdown pass in a 64-6 win over Howard, where he completed 3-3 of his passes for 77 yards. Moreover, Junior Kingsley Ifedi — a Charlotte, N.C. native — came to A&T last season after spending two years at East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.). He played in six games during his first season and had his best game of the season on Nov. 23 against Aggies rival North Carolina Central University (Durham, N.C.), where he rushed for 90 yards on six carries.
With Wilds-Lawing being a true freshman, he will be able to learn a lot from whoever is leading the Aggie offense this season. His talents will open doors for him to be the next big thing at A&T within the next four years.
Coach Washington has a diamond in the rough waiting for his moment to shine. Nicholai Wilds-Lawing will be a household name soon.
“My work ethic is different. All I know is to go get it. I’m at A&T to continue the winning culture and get to the next level.”
