Gators wideout in consideration for top freshman in college football

Gator fans have been buzzing about five-star recruit and true freshman Dallas Wilson since the talented wideout flipped from the University of Oregon to come to Gainesville.

Now, with the regular season right around the corner, Wilson is garnering more attention nationally. The No. 2 wide receiver in the 2025 high school class, Wilson was featured as an honorable mention in ESPN's "Projecting the top 10 freshmen for the 2025 college football season" article released Monday morning.

Wilson is one of 15 players listed on the watch list, which was organized in alphabetical order. Eight of the 25 players listed in the top 10 or on the watch list were wide receivers -- nine if you include potential two-way player Demetres Samuel of Syracuse.

The elephant in the room, obviously, is that Wilson picked up a lower left leg injury during fall camp. And although he's expected to be ready in time to face Long Island University in Week 1, he'll miss plenty of critical fall camp snaps, which could stunt his development.

Regardless, the talented freshman from Tampa should have every opportunity to etch out a major role in the Gators' passing game.

As it stands now, Wilson looks to be part of a clear Top 3, joining Eugene Wilson and J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant's production has declined each year since he notched 755 receiving yards and seven TDs in 2022 for Cal. Eugene received a medical redshirt in 2024 after sustaining a season-ending hip injury. He logged 266 yards before going down, and he also delivered 538 receiving yards in 10 games during 2023.

Almost half of of Eugene's snaps in 2024 came out of the slot, and considering Sturdivant's lack of recent production, Dallas Wilson likely has the inside track to start on the outside.

If Wilson outperforms Sturdivant early, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Gators give the freshman even more opportunities to boost his development.