Brandon Wilson isn’t exactly well-known. He doesn’t have the college accolades that have been bestowed upon others in the Bulldog defense, but he is one of the more important members of this year’s football team. Wilson, the former walk-on from Tuscaloosa, Ala., has emerged as a leader in MSU’s revamped linebacking corp.
Wilson, a senior middle linebacker who recorded 17 tackles while backing up Chris White last year, wasn’t expected to hold on to the starting spot he moved into in spring training. After all, Maye, the former freshman All-American who transferred from Clemson, was deemed the heir apparent to Chris White from the moment it was announced he was transferring to State.
There was just one problem with that line of thinking. It didn’t take into consideration how well Wilson would play throughout fall camp. Wilson has always been known as a hard-nosed, blue-collar type guy who gives his all on every play and is respected by all of his teammates, and this attitude, combined with his intelligence and love of the game, has helped him remain atop the depth chart at middle linebacker.
MSU head coach Dan Mullen couldn’t agree more.
“He’s done a great job,” Mullen said. “You know what you’re going to get from Brandon from day one since we’ve been here. He’s a guy that works hard, gives you everything he has out there on the field. Has a nose for the football and loves the game. That demeanor is what you want for a middle linebacker. A guy that absolutely loves being out there in the game giving you everything he has every snap. He maximizes his ability, and that’s what I love about him.”
Mullen isn’t the only one who feels that way about Brandon Wilson. MSU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson (no relation) echoes the same sentiments.
“He’s a starter,” Wilson said. “He’s earned it. He plays that way; he competes that way. He shows up. When we sat down and watched the tape and measured it every day, Brandon Wilson was the starter. That’s the thing that really stands out. At the end of the day the best players will play, and Brandon Wilson has earned the right to be a starter at that position.”
 Instead of worrying about the possibility of Brandon Maye beating him out for his starting position at middle linebacker, Wilson has embraced Maye’s arrival and tried to help him learn everything he needs to know in order to be successful.
“He’s spent three years in the ACC; he’s a ball player. He’s been teaching me a whole lot; he’s been learning some from me. It’s been a great deal though,” Wilson said.  “As long as I can go out and help this defense be at an SEC caliber it’ll be alright.”
Wilson will be helping MSU’s defense out plenty this year, but he will also be helping his family out. His hard work resulted in him being placed on scholarship.
“It lets you know that hard work does pay off,” Wilson said. “It’s definitely rewarding. I’ve been working my butt off the past three years to get to this point. I’m very appreciative of Coach Mullen giving me that scholarship. It lets you know that, with this program, you get what you put into it. I never wanted to just settle as a walk-on. I always wanted to push for that spot. They had Chaney in that spot and Chris White, so I always visualized myself and wanted to be in that spot. That was always a dream of mine. I wanted to be that guy and now I get a chance to do that.”
Wilson has certainly earned his role as the leader of MSU’s linebacking corp, but in many ways he is much more than a starting football player on a team projected to do big things this year.
Brandon Wilson’s story is the story of the MSU football program’s resurgence under Mullen. He may not be the biggest, the strongest or the fastest, but through hard work, intelligence and a burning desire to win, he can compete with the best of them.