College Commitment: Charles Willmott (2020 OES)
Two-sport athletes may be common in the high school ranks but in college, it’s a bit more rare.
Charles Willmott
Charles
Willmott
6'1" | CG
OES | 2021
State
OR
knew that going into his college recruitment but kept all of the possibilities open. As things progressed for the all-around 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard from OES - who plays football at Lincoln - more opportunities opened up on the gridiron. But as it turns out he’ll get to play both football and basketball at the next level at Williams, and it’s a dream come true for the leading returning scorer of the defending 3A hoops champ.
"I went into the recruiting process knowing I was really interested in playing a sport in college, whether it was basketball or football or both," Willmott said. "I also knew that going to a high academic school was my number one priority."
"I ended up getting an offer to play football at Williams in July and I got to the know the coaching staff and really liked what I was hearing from them," Willmott continued. "I also talked to the basketball coach at Williams who said he would love to have me join the basketball program as well."
At this point, Williams - which just so happens to be his father’s alma mater - seemed to rise above all of the other options he had garnered over the past few months. While playing hoops in addition to football was what the sharp-shooting combo guard terms "a great bonus", the school as a whole checked off all the boxes.
"Academically it is a perfect fit for me," Willmott said. "I knew I was interested in a liberal arts education and Williams is the best school in the world in that regard. So it just ended up being a perfect fit of having the opportunity to continue playing both sports while receiving a world class education!"
With his decision in the books, Willmott is hopeful for high school athletics this spring - both on the gridiron with Lincoln and on the hardwood with OES. "I plan to play both sports this year," Willmott said. "Goal for basketball is definitely to win state again and for football it’s to win the PIL."
Willmott currently ranks as the #58 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings.
