GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida receiver Eugene Wilson III could have landed on one of the All-Southeastern Conference preseason teams.
No one would have balked.
Wilson had 61 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns last season, by far the most by any freshman in the league. That’s while serving as quarterback Graham Mertz’s second option behind standout Ricky Pearsall, who went on to become a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in April.
Nonetheless, Wilson’s debut season wasn’t enough to garner any love from league media heading into Year 2 as he was left off the preseason teams.
“Obviously, it’s kind of a bummer not to see my name up there,” Wilson said after practice Thursday. “But at the end of the day, I had a few people sending me videos or pictures of that. But I just go ahead and ‘liked’ the messages because it’s not too much to say with my name not being up there.
“But I’ll put in my back pocket and keep it on hold for the rest of the season.”
Wilson should have plenty of chances to prove he’s one of the SEC’s elite when Florida opens the season against in-state rival Miami in the Swamp on Aug. 31. The Tampa native better known as “Tre” is expected to be the centerpiece of coach Billy Napier’s offense in 2024.
“We’re going to get our money’s worth out of Tre Wilson, I can promise you that,” Napier said.
Wilson welcomed a heavier workload while dodging questions about where he might line up against the Hurricanes. Outside? Slot? In the backfield? Maybe even at quarterback?
He’ll likely be more involved as a kickoff and punt returner.
“Whatever they need,” he said.
The Gators need him to stay healthy. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound sophomore missed two games because of a bruised collarbone last year. That included a 33-14 loss at Kentucky when Florida fell behind 23-0 because the Gators failed to slow down the Wildcats or keep pace with them.
Wilson returned and was at his best down the stretch, although he failed to top 100 yards receiving in any game and finished the year averaging less than 9 yards a reception.
He insists he’s bigger, stronger and faster now. He said he gained 10 pounds in the spring while maintaining his quick twitch and has embraced recovery methods that once seemed unnecessary; he’s now a regular in the cold tub after trying to avoid it as a freshman.
“You got to do what you got to do to take care of your body because it’s a moneymaker,” he said.
Wilson, the son of two-time Super Bowl-winning safety Eugene Wilson, has NFL aspirations. He’s already drawn comparison to former Florida great Percy Harvin, who put up modest numbers as a freshman before emerging as one of the most explosive players in college football history the next two years.
Like Harvin, Wilson will have to share the ball. Napier, entering his third and most crucial season in Gainesville, took steps to ensure opposing defenses can’t focus on Wilson.
Napier signed two experienced seniors in the transfer portal — Elijhah Badger of Arizona State and Chimere Dike of Wisconsin – and has freshmen Aidan Mizell, Andy Jean and Tank Hawkins ready to contribute. Throw in Kahleil Jackson, Marcus Burke and Ja’Quavion Fraziars and this could be Florida’s deepest and most talent receiving corps in years.
Badger and Dike have combined for 239 receptions for 3,118 yards and 19 touchdowns in college, with most of those coming over the past two seasons.
Mizell and Hawkins, meanwhile, will be instrumental in helping Florida stretch the field. The speedsters have topped 23 mph in workouts. Equally important, Napier believes an improved offensive line will give Mertz more time to deliver passes down the field — with Wilson likely being the ultimate beneficiary and maybe doing enough to gain postseason recognition.
“We’re always going to be intentional about who we get the ball to, with Tre Wilson being at the top of that list, for sure,” Napier said.
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