Villanova Football Recruiting
Villanova Football Commit Lincoln Shelton Finds Ways to Win
2027 Villanova Football commit Lincoln Shelton stands 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, “someone who could be seen as undersized” at wide receiver, to hear him tell it.
Instead, he wins his matchups with speed, running the 40-yard dash in a reported 4.4 seconds. Shelton hauled in 27 passes for 787 yards and four touchdowns as a junior, an average of more than 29 yards per catch. That was his first taste of playing at outside receiver; Shelton spent his first two years at Washington, D.C.’s Gonzaga College High School playing from the slot.
“For this past year, for my team, the main role I played was the deep threat. I think one of the biggest parts of my game is my speed, so we took advantage of that a lot throughout the season, just me taking the top off the defense,” Shelton said.
“Using that track speed is something that I’ve developed over the past couple years, running the 100 and running the 55 and stuff like that…that’s all she wrote: just run by them and there’s nothing they can do about that except grab you, which they’re lucky if they can do that too. The track speed that I’ve developed over the years has really helped me with my game, if the defenders can’t stop it then there’s nothing they can do.”
Growing His Game
Based on his discussions with new Villanova receivers coach Matt O’Connor, Shelton said the Wildcats think he fits best in the slot. While he agrees with the assessment, Shelton said he’s also always looking to add new facets to his game.
“I think the slot is really where I’m best, I feel as though I provide a lot to the team as a slot, but it’s fun to bounce around a lot too,” Shelton said. “I think that I can really play wherever on the field, and that’s something that I’m excited to continue to develop going into college. But I love going deep on the defense, that was fun this year.”
In terms of continued development, Shelton said he plans to place a renewed emphasis on blocking as he heads into his senior year of high school. Once again, he won’t let any perceived lack of size stop him.
“Physicality is something that I’m trying to develop, and I think it’s something you’ll see a lot of on my film going into my senior year. Blocking and hitting people and doing all that stuff as a receiver, that will set me apart,” Shelton said. “Not a lot of people at my position block their tail off every play for the running back, for the quarterback.That’s something that I’m continuing to develop at, and I’m excited to put it on tape for my senior year.”
Why the Wildcats Won
Shelton earned offers from more than a dozen Division I programs and took part in training camps at Power Four programs like West Virginia and Penn State. With a wealth of options to choose from, he said Villanova stood out for their winning tradition, off-the-field reputation and history of developing athletes.
“Really a balance of football, elite academics and also the religious aspect of the school. I also think that coming into a school and being able to compete for a championship was something that really appealed to me, the history of winning at Villanova is something that I wanted to be a part of, and something that I’m excited to help develop and continue to nurture,” Shelton said. “[O’Connor said they] have a history of development at Villanova, and how they see me being a major part of the future. He’s talking about how they would use me in the slot and also outside, so that’s something that was really fun too.”
O’Connor and Shelton’s conversations also covered X’s and O’s… and what it means to play for the Wildcats; O’Connor spent four seasons on the Main Line during his own college career, so he knows first-hand.
“He talked to me about how he couldn’t see where his life would be without Villanova, and I think that’s something that really speaks volumes about the program and that school,” Shelton said. “Football-wise, we watched a lot of my film, a lot of Villanova’s film, and hearing him talk ball from the quarterback’s perspective but also the perspective of a receiver, it was really interesting to hear how he saw the game. He’s obviously on a different level when it comes to his football IQ.”
