Tag: eugene wilson iii

Florida WR named to PFF’s All-Freshman Team

Florida’s Eugene Wilson III was one of the best first-year receivers in the country in2023, earning him a spot on PFF’s All-Freshman list.

First-year Florida wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson was named to Pro Football Focus’ 2023 All-Freshman team on Christmas Eve.

Wilson started the season coming off the bench, but he eventually took over a starting role on the team. With Ricky Pearsall leaving Gainesville for the NFL draft and Caleb Douglas headed to Texas Tech via the transfer portal, Wilson should enter 2024 as Florida’s top receiver.

Pro Football Focus gave Wilson an 81.6 offensive rating, an 81.5 receiving grade and an elite 93.4 drop rating. All three figures led the nation among first-year receivers who played more than 30 offensive snaps. Wilson’s drop rating ranked second among all receivers in the country, regardless of experience.

Wilson finished his freshman year with 538 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 61 receptions. He averaged 6.1 catches per game and 8.8 yards per catch.

His most productive game came in Week 10 against Arkansas when he totaled eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

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Florida’s talented playmaker named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week

Tre Wilson became the second Gator to earn the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week award this season.

Amidst all of the bad news that followed Florida’s Week 10 home defeat at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks, there was a silver lining when it came time to hand out national weekly honors.

True freshman wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Willson III[/autotag] — whose talent far exceeds just that one position — was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week after his strong performance against the Hogs despite the losing effort. The Tampa native hauled in a game-high eight receptions for 90 yards along with a pair of touchdowns in yet another fabulous showing for the budding star.

“He’s a tremendous player. He’s a really gifted player,” wide receiver Ricky Pearsall said of Wilson following Saturday’s loss. “I also have faith in everybody in the receiving room, so I think anybody in the receiving room can step up and make those big-time plays, but to highlight him, he’s doing a really good job, so shout-out to him.”

Wilson is the second Gator to earn the distinction this season following fellow true freshman safety Jordan Castell out of Winter Garden, Florida, who took home the hardware after the Gators beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 3.

Next up for Wilson and the Gators are the LSU Tigers, who host Florida in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Nov. 11, inside Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on the SEC Network.

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WATCH: Tre Wilson leads Florida into end zone on first drive against Georgia

Florida scored first against Georgia for the first time since 2015 on Saturday, and most of the yards came from Eugene “Tre” Wilson III.

Florida didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard against Georgia on Saturday.

True freshman wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III carved up the Bulldogs’ defense on the opening drive, catching four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Early leads aren’t easy to come by, especially against Georgia, and Wilson’s score marked the first time that Florida had scored first in the rivalry game since 2015.

All scoring plays are reviewed, and there was some question as to whether Wilson’s shin or knee touched the ground before the score. The call was confirmed, though, and Florida took an important 7-0 lead to start the game.

Florida’s true freshman WR recognized by On3 for Week 7 performance

Florida true freshman Eugene “Tre” Wilson III is emerging as one of the best first-year receivers in the country, and the folks at On3 are taking notice.

Florida true freshman wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III has quickly made a strong first impression on the college football world, and it’s not just Gators fans who are praising him after he played a pivotal role in a Week 7 win over South Carolina.

On3’s Charles Power included Wilson in his list of Week 7 “standouts.” The first-year pass catcher from Gaither High in Tampa hauled in six catches for 83 yards and added another 10 on the ground. Although he wasn’t the intended target on the play, Wilson caught what might have been the biggest reception of the game.

Graham Mertz targeted Ricky Pearsall on a slant, but the ball ricocheted off Pearsall’s hand and deflected straight to Wilson, who took it to the 15-yard line. Mertz found Pearsall for the score a few plays later, but Wilson’s catch won’t be forgotten any time soon.

Wilson is the obvious successor to Pearsall in Florida’s offense right now, and he might end up being the more successful Gator when all is said and done. Tre is an exciting player to watch, and the Florida faithful gets him for at least two and a half more seasons.

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Florida releases Week 4 depth chart vs. Charlotte

Florida’s Week 4 depth chart looks mostly the same as the week prior’s, but there are a few notable names missing as a clash with Charlotte looms.

After a convincing win over Tennessee in Week 3, the Florida Gators are changing up the depth chart too much for a Week 4 matchup with the Charlotte 49ers.

On offense, the most notable changes come in the trenches.

At right tackle, Damieon George Jr. is listed as the third-string option after starting the first three weeks of the season. He’s not being demoted. George and Micah Mazzccua are suspended for the first half of the game after defending Graham Mertz following a late hit. Lyndell Hudson II will start at right tackle and Richie Leonard IV with start at left guard.

Center Kingsley Eguakun is once again out with a lower-body injury after returning to the field for just one week. Jake Slaughter will start in place of Eguakun with Richie Leonard IV serving as the backup. If Leonard is moved from the left guard spot, redshirt freshman Christian Williams will step in for him.

At tight end, redshirt freshman Arlis Boardingham is now listed ahead of junior Jonathan Odom.

Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman returns to the receiver corps this week, but Eugene “Tre” Wilson III will sit and recover from an upper-body injury suffered against Tennessee.

The only change on defense is a major one. Kamari Wilson, a five-star recruit out of IMG Academy in his second year with Florida, is no longer listed on the depth chart. He was the “or” option to Miguel Mitchell at safety for the first three weeks of the season.

Wilson’s situation is one worth monitoring over the next couple of weeks.

Also, at the SAM linebacker spot, Mannie Nunnery has jumped ahead of Scooby Williams, who is playing more inside linebacker these days.

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Injury Update: Florida freshman WR ‘banged up’ but expected to return

Billy Napier provided an update on Eugene Wilson III’s upper-body injury and provided some clarification on when he might return.

Eugene “Tre” Wilson caught all six balls that came his way on Saturday, but he left the Tennessee game in the first half after suffering an apparent collarbone injury.

Head coach Billy Napier provided an update on Wilson after the game, stating that X-rays came back negative, and he gave a little more insight into the expected return timeline for Wilson on Monday.

“Tre is banged up,” Napier said. “Nothing long-term. Ultimately, the X-ray is normal, and I think that it will take him a little bit of time to return. Now, it’s going to be a pain-tolerance deal. It’ll be to be determined. It could be this week, could be next week. We’ll give you an update on Wednesday officially.”

Wilson is Florida’s highest-rated wide receiver on Pro Football Focus with a receiving grade of 81.5 over three weeks. He’s played the third most offensive snaps among Florida receivers (79) and recorded the second most catches (12) on as many targets.

The true freshman is already an integral part of this offense, and losing him for even a week could slow down the passing game. Of course, the team’s top two wideouts, Ricky Pearsall and Caleb Douglas, are still healthy, so the dropoff shouldn’t be too significant.

Wilson also returns punts for Florida, but he’s listed as an “OR” option with Pearsall. The expectation is for Pearsall to take over until Wilson can get back on the field.

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Billy Napier provides update on Tre Wilson’s injury

Florida head coach Billy Napier gave an injury update for WR Eugene WIlson III in the post-game media session.

All seemed well in Gainesville after the Gators pulled an upset victory over the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers Saturday night, but fans did receive some bad news about wide receiver Eugene ‘Tre’ Wilson III.

Wilson went into the locker room before halftime and appeared to be favoring his left arm before getting an x-ray.

ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported that Wilson suffered an injury to his collarbone, leaving him unavailable to finish the game.

“The most potent weapon in that first quarter for the Florida Gators, Eugene Wilson III, will not return to this game,” Rowe said. “He has an apparent collarbone injury on the left side of his body. I saw him walk into the tunnel holding that left arm and collarbone gingerly.”

Wilson’s injury was a popular topic of conversation in the post-game media scrum and Florida head coach Billy Napier addressed the issue.

“Tre is going to be fine. The x-ray was normal. I think he has a bruise of some — you know, but he wasn’t able to return,” Napier said. “Just didn’t have the strength to return. He wanted to play, but I don’t think he was ready to play.”

Wilson has been a favorite weapon for quarterback Graham Mertz this season and was playing lights-out football before going to the locker room, compiling 60 yards on six receptions. The freshman wideout has put up 104 receiving yards and averages 8.7 yards a catch.

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Florida WR included on Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year watch list

Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III has made the watch list for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, becoming the first Gator to do so.

The college career of Florida wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III is set to begin on Thursday night, and the freshman pass catcher figures to work his way into a significant role with the Gators in 2023.

A former four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, Wilson is getting national recognition ahead of his first season from the Maxwell Football Club. He was named to the watch list for the sixth annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, becoming the first Gator to ever do so.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell, Alabama defensive end Will Anderson Jr., Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye are the past winners. If Wilson won, he’d be the first receiver to claim the award.

Alexander’s watch list is 37 players deep to start the season. Notable names other than Wilson, include Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain — who was committed to Florida before flipping — and Nebraska edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who is the brother of Florida starting JACK Princely Umanmielen.

Of course, Alabama and Georgia have multiple players featured on the list. That tends to happen when bringing in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting classes.

Wilson will need to perform extremely well to finish on top of this talented watch list, and it all starts with his debut against Utah on Thursday night.

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Two Gators named to On3’s Preseason Freshman All-American Team

A handful of freshman are expected to make an impact for Florida this season, including the two named preseason All-American team on Tuesday

The Florida Gators brought in a talented recruiting class during the 2023 cycle, and now it’s time to see which true freshmen will stand out early for the team. On3 released a preseason true freshman All-American team on Tuesday, and a pair of Gators made the cut — wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III and cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson.

On3 was the only recruiting service to list Wilson as a five-star talent during his recruitment, and they are backing off that assessment. In fact, the folks at On3 are doubling down

“I think when you’re looking at the receiver position, we highly value coordination, movement skills, and Eugene Wilson has all of that in spades,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Powers said. “… Just a phenomenal overall athlete. … Getting really strong reviews early on in his time at Florida. … So Eugene Wilson, he’s one that we’ve been high on for a long time, and I think he could be set to surprise some folks this year in Gainesville.”

Wilson should be the successor to Ricky Pearsall in the slot at Florida in 2024, but he could find snaps early as a freshman. If On3’s predictions are right, Pearsall could see more time out wide as Wilson establishes himself as a true freshman.

Jackson is another player that Powers thinks could fight his way into a regular role in his first year at Florida. He spent some time at receiver in high school before switching to cornerback but has shown a ton of promise since. His elite speed (sub-11-second 100-meter sprint) makes him stand out, and Florida doesn’t have a ton of depth as his position.

Junior Jason Marshall Jr. appears to be a lock for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, and both Jalen Kimber and Devin Moore are solid options behind him. But, Jackson could very well be next on the list.

“Although Florida has some established corners returning for this fall … I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ja’Keem Jackson get on the field and impress early on in his career at a Gator,” Powers said. “Jackson’s received some strong reviews since enrolling. He’s one who we were very high on at On3 throughout the process. We really like the upside.”

It’s clear that Florida has some talented young players on its hands heading into the 2023 season, but opportunity can be tough to come by. Napier has shown a willingness to play freshman, though, and Florida’s roster went through a significant amount of turnover during the offseason.

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Florida WR among nation’s top newcomers, per ESPN

ESPN ranked the top “newcomers” in college football this season, and Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson is expected to have a strong 2023.

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 sounds like VanHaaren is hedging his bet a bit by slipping Jean in there as well. Keary Colbert recruited an elite group of receivers, and Ricky Pearsall is the only returning pass catcher with a spot locked up heading into the fall.

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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