Quartet of Florida football freshmen earn All-SEC honors

These four Gators represent the future of Florida football.

The Southeastern Conference announced its Freshman All-SEC team on Thursday afternoon, which included four Florida football players.

Wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson[/autotag], edge defenders [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] were among the listed names, giving the Gators a quartet of first-year standouts for the first time since 2012.

The All-SEC team was decided upon by the conference’s coaches.

Wilson, who is the most explosive athlete on the list, finished the season with 61 catches for 538 yards — both of which were second on the team to senior wideout Ricky Pearsall — along with a team-high six touchdowns through the air.

He also set the Florida single-game freshman record with 11 receptions against then-No. 1 Georgia in Jacksonville at the end of October. Wilson also earned the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week award after the Arkansas game.

Collins recorded 23 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and sacks, four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in 12 games as a freshman in Gainesville. His presence on the defensive line was key at times for a corps that suffered a great deal of attrition.

Similarly, Searcy also added depth to the D-line making a dozen appearances himself. He finished the fall with 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Finally, Castell broke out early in his Gators tenure, emerging as starting-level talent for the team during preseason practice and providing much-needed talent in a disappointing defensive backfield.

He appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated run defender among qualified players. Castell was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Shaun Alexander award after the Gators’ Week 3 victory against then-No. 11 Tennessee.

The Gator Nation will have to wait until the Orange and Blue game to see the team back in action. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

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