Florida football: 247 Sports names four Gator freshmen to look out for
By Will Thomas
![Florida Gators wide receiver Andy Jean (6) keeps his eye on the ball while running pass routes Thursday. The University of Florida Gators held a Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 9, 2023. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Gai Uffootballspring3](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Facf0ca8e295d525a6db3327d1462f0656499d3aa2b37b89145bc7875134c5111.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Andy Jean (6) keeps his eye on the ball while running pass routes Thursday. The University of Florida Gators held a Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 9, 2023. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Gai Uffootballspring3")
Florida football freshman to watch: Eugene Wilson
The Gators are only returning one player who caught more than ten passes last season (Ricky Pearsall) so Billy Napier knew he had to go out and get some talented pass catchers so the Gators didn’t fall behind everyone else.
He went out and did that with the WR class he brought in. In addition to Jean, Eugene Wilson is expected to be a big-time contributor in his debut season.
Wilson was a top-20 wideout in the 2023 class, with his best trait being his speed and quickness. Andrew Ivins calls him “a blur”, which is just about the only way to describe him.
He has the breakaway speed to beat any defender vertically and combines that with Kadarius Toney-like start and stop ability, as well as a great change of direction.
In his senior season with Gaither, he caught 40 passes for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s an average of 19.1 yards per catch. He also picked five passes off defensively and brought two to the house.
Wilson’s versatility is what will make him a star for the Gators. Not only can he be a great slot guy, but he can be a game-changer in the return game to help boost Florida’s special teams, and be a gunner given his defensive background.
Having Wilson in the slot with Jean on the outside is going to be a nightmare for SEC defenses as the years go on, and I’m excited to see them both get their careers started this fall.