Chris Wilcox hails from Fontana, California where he prepped for Eleanor Roosevelt High School. He was a two-star recruit by multiple scouting platforms. His senior season in 2015 saw him rack up 71 tackles two forced fumbles, one interceptions, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. He also starred on the track where he ran a 10.68 in the 100m, a 21.86 in the 200m, and a 47.97 in the 400m.
After getting little recruiting attention from division one programs, Wilcox chose to attend Brigham Young University over programs such as Southern Utah and UC Davis.
Wilcox saw playing time as a freshman in nine games but he only mustered nine total tackles.