True freshman Dallas Wilson has record-setting debut that puts the entire nation on notice
The great wide receiver is a Florida Gator
Sitting at 1-3, the Florida Gators had a lot of big questions coming out of the bye week.
Head coach Billy Napier‘s offense, led by quarterback DJ Lagway, has been the biggest issue on the team. They have struggled in nearly every aspect on offense with Napier calling plays this season, including the offensive line which was thought to be a strength.
One area where they didn’t have everyone was at wide receiver. That changed on Saturday when true freshman Dallas Wilson introduced himself to college football.
Dallas Wilson has historic Florida Gators debut
The last time we saw Wilson on the field, it was in the spring game, where he set Gators records with 10 receptions and 195 yards, while also scoring two touchdowns. There was a lot of hype with Wilson going into the season, but he missed the first four games with an injury that he suffered during fall camp.
After waiting for way too long, Wilson made his debut and what a performance he put on.
It didn’t take Wilson long to make an impact, as he caught a nine yard pass on the first play of the gam. He did fumble the ball, but recovered it and kept the drive going. His first big play came in the second quarter, when Lagway hit him on a back shoulder throw.
It’s incredibly impressive to see any college wide receiver display this much body control, let alone a true freshman like Wilson. He thrived on the boundary as an X-receiver and used his size to his advantage.
That wasn’t the only play where Wilson displayed excellent body control. He scored two touchdowns on the day, but his second one was for 55 yards, where he looked like a ballet dancer on the sidelines, keeping his balance and powering through multiple defenders for the score.
This is exactly what we were hoping to see from Wilson, and he delivered in a major way, including setting a team record for the most catches, yards, and touchdowns in his first career start, not just a freshman, but ever. It felt like a huge addition to an offense that desperately needed a spark.
Wilson wasn’t the only true freshman wide receiver to have a great game, as Vernell Brown III continues to showcase why he’s one of the best young players in the nation.
These two players were huge in the Gators getting their second win of the season, 29-21 over the ninth ranked Texas Longhorns. They will also be huge in the Gators mounting any sort of comeback over the next few weeks.
The Gators are in a good spot with these two on the team for presumably the next three years at minimum.
