Vilain was born on March 10, 1998, in Ottawa, Ontario.[1][2] He attended Episcopal High School in Virginia. As a junior, he recorded 60 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one recovered, earning second-team All-USA Virginia by USA Today and first-team All-IAC. As a senior, Vilain made 45 tackles and eight sacks as well as a fumble recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. He was named first-team All-USA by USA Today, first-team All-Met by The Washington Post, and first-team All-IAC. He was invited to the Under Armour All-America Game and was a PrepStar Top 359 All-American player. Scout.com ranked him the top defensive end in Virginia and a four-star recruit. He was a four-star prospect according to ESPN, and was named the second-best player in Virginia, as well as the 102nd best nationally.[3]
College career
Vilain committed to the University of Michigan after graduating from Episcopal High School.[4] In his first two seasons (2017, freshman; 2018, sophomore), he did not see any game action. He was an Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2018. Prior to his junior year, Vilain moved from Toronto to the United States. As a junior in 2019, he played in seven games as a defensive lineman and made seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one sack, and one forced fumble, earning his first varsity letter. As a senior in the 2020 season, Vilain appeared in five games, recording four tackles for a second varsity letter.[3]
In 2021, Vilain announced his intention to transfer.[5] He transferred to Wake Forest for his fifth season, being given an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In May, he was drafted in the third round (25th overall) of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft by the Toronto Argonauts, but chose to remain in college.[7]
As a fifth-year senior with Wake Forest in 2021, Vilain recorded a team-leading 9.0 sacks while also making 10.0 tackles-for-loss. He was one of three Wake Forest players to have double-digit tackles-for-loss and had a streak of four consecutive games with a sack.[8]
After going unselected in the 2022 NFL draft, Vilain was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings.[10]Kwity Paye, an All-Rookie defensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts, who was roommates with Vilain at Michigan, said "I think the Vikings got a big steal getting him in free agency. He's just that type of player where I feel he didn't get his fair chance at Michigan, but he’s going to definitely maximize his opportunity and give the Vikings everything he has. He's an extremely gifted athlete."[11] After having a solid training camp and impressing in preseason with a fumble return and interception, he made the Vikings' final roster.[12] Vilain only appeared in three games for Minnesota in 2022, totaling four tackles.[2] He was waived on August 29, 2023, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[13][14]
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