It’s always tough to tell which freshman and transfers will have the biggest impacts on their new teams before games are actually played, but ESPN staff writer Tom VanHaaren took on the task of listing the top 50 “newcomers” to college football in 2023.
VanHaaren includes both transfers, such as Colorado‘s Travis Hunter who followed head coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, and freshmen. Florida’s lone representative is wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], who rounds out the list at No. 50 among impact newcomers.
“Wilson, the No. 7 athlete in the class, has already made a name for himself,” VanHaaren wrote. “Coach Billy Napier said he thinks Wilson will make the team better. Napier also mentioned Wilson’s speed as an aspect that has stood out, and given that Florida’s offense was ranked 77th in pass yards per game, Wilson and fellow freshman Andy Jean will be welcomed additions.”
It might be worth watching out for Florida’s defensive linemen. The position group was the strongest for Florida in the 2023 cycle, and Justus Boone’s injury open’s the door open for one of the freshmen to step up, especially if Jack Pyburn struggles or gets hurt.
ESPN might be sleeping on some of Florida’s more talented additions over the offseason, but only time will tell how accurate this list is.
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