Dallas Wilson Proves Worth the Wait With Historic Gators Debut
Freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson’s first career start was nothing short of elite. His recovery from a left foot injury is arguably the biggest break the Gators have had this season, as he elevated the passing game and greatly contributed to Saturday’s upset defeat of No. 9 Texas 29-21.
Gator Nation patiently waited for his moment to come after he broke Orange and Blue Game records with 10 catches for 195 yards with two touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3 Tampa native put up 111 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions to lead Florida in receiving Saturday. His breakout performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Week.
“It meant everything,” Wilson said postgame. “Like you said, the expectations, it wasn’t really a big deal for me. I had all my brothers around me in the room. Shoutout to all the receivers. I had [DJ Lagway] pushing me on. I had all the coaches. It’s just like a good belief. Everybody believed in everybody, so it was good coming out there with all the guys.”
Wilson set numerous program records in his debut, recording the most receptions, yards and touchdowns in his first career start. He was also the first Gator freshman receiver to have a 100-yard game in his debut and the first to hit this mark since 2016 (Tyrie Cleveland at LSU).
Continuing to add to these accolades, he was the first Florida freshman receiver to catch a touchdown in his debut. Wilson’s first was 13 yards to put the Gators up 17-7 with less than five minutes left in the first half.
His second touchdown was a 55-yard stunner, as he pushed down defenders to make it to the end zone while walking the tight rope on the right sideline.
The one dark spot for Wilson was a fumble on the first play of the game that he recovered. The freshman’s inexperience came through, but he had no problem the rest of the night.
Having Wilson as a target was the spark that Lagway needed to return to the level Gator Nation and many expected to see after last season’s performance. Lagway had his best game of the season to earn SEC Offensive Player of the Week, throwing 21-for-28 for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Both Lagway and coach Billy Napier praised Wilson for his talents and size on the field, calling him a “specimen” and “creature.”
“[Wilson’s] really unique,” Napier said. “Size, play strengths, catch radius, and then I would say just his presence as a person. I think he’s got incredible energy. You look forward to being around him, and he brings a competitive spirit to the practice field. It’s very evident he’s out there. He’s got good juice, and I think that rubs off on the other players.”
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