Dallas Wilson Out, So Which Gator Receiver Will Step Up?
Florida receiver Dallas Wilson will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right foot late in the first half of Saturday’s 24-20 loss to No. 5 Georgia.
Wilson went to the locker room after taking a hit on the last third-down play of half, before returning to the sidelines in the third quarter wearing a boot and street clothes. He finished the game with one catch for seven yards.
Wilson will have surgery on the broken right foot, ending his season, according to Swamp247. The injury is a tough blow for Wilson, who missed the first four games of the year due to a left-foot injury he suffered in August during training camp. When he returned in Week 6 against Texas, the former five-star receiver out of Tampa announced his presence, Wilson hauled in six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s a specimen. He’s a great player to have on the field,” quarterback DJ Lagway said after the Texas game on Oct. 4. “I told him, every time you play, expect the ball. It’s coming your way. He’s just a great player to have on the team, and it’s good to see him out there balling.”
The only positive of Wilson’s injury is that he maintains his redshirt status, since he played in just four games this season.
After a slower past three games, Wilson finishes his freshman campaign with 12 catches for 174 yards and three touchdowns. After the game, interim coach Billy Gonzales hopped off his assigned team bus to console Wilson, throwing his arm over Wilson’s shoulder and telling him he had his full support. Amid a period of program transition, keeping players like Wilson in town will remain critical.
Loading ...So while Wilson’s production declined after his breakout first game, his dynamic ability allowed other Gators pass catchers to get more open. With him gone, others are going to need to step up in his absence.
“I feel like everyone is here for a reason and they know that,” safety Jordan Castell said. “Step up and just play football.”
One of those guys that should continue to see an uptick in production is Eugene Wilson III, who had his best game of the season on Saturday.
Coming into the year, Wilson III was supposed to play a key role in Florida’s passing attack, but fell behind the pack after freshman Vernell Brown III emerged onto the scene. Wilson III has been credited as being a team player, but Gonzales emphasized he would be in line for a big game against Georgia. And with the snap of a finger, Wilson caught nine passes for 121 yards and a 40-yard touchdown. He tallied more receiving yards in Saturday’s contest alone than he did in the entire season (118) to that point.
“He did a great job. He’s got big-play making ability,” Gonzales said. “He did a great job in practice. Everything that he did today he made in practice. That’s kind of the expectation, to be able to make the plays you’re doing consistently in practice.”
Another pass catcher that could see an uptick in action is J. Michael Sturdivant, who caught two passes for 21 yards, but nearly had a 48-yard completion late in the fourth quarter. The ball was badly under thrown and Sturdivant could not get his arms underneath it.
If he can get healthy, Brown would be another obvious choice to fill the missing void Wilson leaves. Brown suffered an AC joint sprain against Mississippi State that kept him out against Georgia. Brown currently leads the team in receptions (32), receiving yards (451) and yards per catch (14.1). But he is also a weapon on special teams, serving as Florida’s primary return man.
Gonzales seemed optimistic that Florida could get Brown back ahead of its Week 11 contest against Kentucky this week, but won’t know for sure until practice Monday.
“We’ll have practice here in a little bit later today and see where he’s at running around,” Gonzales said. “But, I’m very hopeful to have him back.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Football
