Florida Football: Five most important players for the Gators in 2023
![Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) walks off the field during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F1ad110c4265ff30831e9df4afcabfb64415da2afd7ad395d5f527387ccaa9e77.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) walks off the field during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
Eugene Wilson
Is it fair to state that a freshman wide receiver is one of the most important players for the Gators?
Probably not.
But if one were to start mapping out the pathway for Florida to move the ball, there are not a lot of scenarios that don’t involve Eugene Wilson.
Part of the pathway that Florida moves the ball is giving Mertz an outlet to dump the ball off and let playmakers do the rest of the work. The freshman out of Tampa is probably the most explosive the Gators have at wide receiver and the most likely to fit the bill for this role, and that includes Ricky Pearsall and fellow freshmen Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell.
If Wilson doesn’t quite live up to the billing that he has showcased in the weight room this summer, Billy Napier will have to head back to the drawing board to conjure up ways to move the ball.