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With his mother suffering in Dallas with kidney failure, Ishmael Wilson wanted to get closer to home.

The redshirt freshman offensive tackle is transferring from Texas A&M to Baylor, and plans to arrive on campus next week in time for the second summer session.

“College Station is just too far, and I wanted to be closer,” Wilson said. “I talked to the Baylor coaches about what they need. I thought this was the best school for me.”

The 6-4, 302-pound Wilson said he will apply to the NCAA for a hardship waiver to play this fall instead of sitting out a year under transfer rules.

Wilson redshirted last season at Texas A&M. If he’s granted the waiver, he will have four years of eligibility remaining. If he redshirts this year at Baylor, Wilson will have three years left to play.

Coming out of Dallas Bishop Dunne High School, Wilson was rated one of the top offensive linemen in the state in the 2013 recruiting class. He believes he improved his strength and conditioning in his one season with the Aggies.

He’s anxious to join the Bears, and would like to play immediately. Wilson chose Baylor over SMU and TCU.