Akron, OH.– Breaking news: Somerset Canyons’ 3-Star EDGE Rusher Wilzard Sterling has COMMITTED to the Akron Zips following a gameday Official Visit this past weekend.
Sterling, a 6 foot 3 defensive lineman from Boynton Beach, FL. chose the Zips over Eastern Michigan, Florida International and Rutgers.
When asked about ‘Why Akron?’ alongside his emotions following after his pledge, Sterling said this:
“Emotions are through the roof it still doesn’t feel real….I feel very blessed….What stood out the most to me I felt like I was at home. Coaches showed a lot of love also I have a big feeling I can start playing early at the university of Akron”
Sterling has opened his senior season with a vengeance. Living by his patented ‘I HATE QBs’ mantra, Wiz has seen his fair share of trips to the backfield, recording 32 tackles, 7 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 23 QB pressures.
During his career, Wiz Sterling has tallied an additional 20 sacks during his sophomore and junior campaigns, including a school record breaking 12 sacks in the 2024 fall.
When you turn on the tape, Wiz Sterling lets every ounce of passion and personality show snap in and snap out. Sterling’s a fun, charismatic ball player, always dancing with a bright smile on his face.
“I have a very flashy play style…That’s something the Zips fans should expect, is for me to be a very energetic player…I do play with a lot of personality before games…I pray a lot, and think about my parents, they’ve always been my rock and my motor…”
Sterling continued by stating
“I’ve come from very little, put my head down and grinded my way up. That’s what drives need to push me to go harder in game. I think about when I hyper extended my knee as a freshman and thought it was all over…Then I came back 10th grade and broke the sack record with 12 sacks…It’s not something I take for granted, and I thank God for every blessing.”
Obviously, Boynton Beach and the surrounding South Florida region is quite the tropical paradise. Just as obviously, Akron Ohio is not.
It’s a fair question to ask recruits committed to midwestern or northern schools if the cold played any factor in their decision. For Wiz Sterling, he’s unphased by the future Ohio winters he’ll endure.
“I am definitely ready for the weather change. The weather over there is actually great, especially during season. It won’t be all that cold. I’ll be just fine”
The addition of Wiz Sterling is a much appreciated spark to an already impressive Akron recruiting class.
