Gators Standout Looks To Return Stronger Than Ever: ‘God Gives His Toughest Battles To His Toughest Soldiers’

 

After a severe hip injury ended his 2024 season, redshirt sophomore Eugene Wilson III is ready to make an impact in 2025.

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Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) makes a catch against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) makes a catch against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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GAINESVILLE, Fla.– While the Florida Gators won arguably its best game in his time at the program Week 12 against LSU, standout receiver Eugene Wilson III watched from home, still being supported by crutches after undergoing season-ending surgery on his hip.

 

When they followed that win with an even bigger one against Ole Miss a week later, he celebrated from the sidelines, not letting his urge to be out there overshadow his teammates’ moment.

 

“Everything boomed out of nowhere. I was actually watching (LSU) on TV, my last day of crutches…and then Ole Miss, the energy just came through,” Wilson III said Thursday about the late-season resurgence.

 

When asked if it ate him up to not be out there, Wilson III still kept the focus on his teammate’s accomplishments.

 

“I can’t really sit there and say that because everyone else was jumping,” he said.

 

Wilson III missed nine of Florida’s 13 games with multiple injuries. A knee injury followed by a minor procedure forced him to miss the Gators’ games against Texas A&M, Mississippi State and UCF. He returned for the team’s games against Tennessee and Kentucky, but a congenial hip condition was uncovered shortly after, and he underwent season-ending surgery done by Dr. Ben Domb, one of the top hip specialists in the country.

His breakout freshman season has left Florida fans waiting for the electric superstar they were promised after year one, and as he heads into his redshirt-sophomore year, Wilson III is not taking his return to the field for granted.

 

“It’s a blessing. It actually just hit me a couple days ago, this moment and that I was just doing what I love since I picked up football,” Wilson III said. “It was obviously a struggle, but I feel like it was also a blessing in disguise at the same time. You know, just throwing adversity at me. God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers. So it most definitely allowed me to grow in spots I never knew I had.”

 

Accounting for 80 receptions, 810 yards and seven touchdowns with the Gators so far, Wilson III has shown flashes of being one of the most dynamic players in all of college football when healthy. His combination of speed, route-running ability and yards after the catch make him a threat any offense would want.

 

“We all know 3 is one of the elite skill players in the entire country. Obviously, when he’s healthy, he’s as good as there is,” head coach Billy Napier said Thursday. “This guy’s a one-play touchdown player. When he’s out there, it makes us a lot harder to defend.”

 

Just an offseason ago, Wilson III was reported to hit 23 miles-per-hour, a mark showcasing his elite speed and athleticism. While not many ever reach this mark, it may not even be his best.

“Most definitely,” Wilson III said when asked if the long-term injury was holding him back from being more explosive. “I just got used to dealing with that nagging pain.”

 

Already one of the quickest receivers in Florida’s room, the idea of Wilson III gaining more speed is exciting for most, unless you are lined up against him.

 

“I hope not,” safety Jordan Castell joked. “Tre’s got a different type of speed… Tre’s already fast, so he needs to just slow down right now.”

 

As Florida prepares for a season full of high expectations, a healthy Wilson III makes an already deep wide receiver room even more dangerous. With countless weapons ready to make an impact, Wilson III believes the group truly has no ceiling.

 

“Not only are we going to take care of business on the field, but we are going to have fun with it,” he said. “Have a smile on our face and make it a terror for the defense.”

Though still donning the black non-contact jersey early in spring, the star receiver that was promised after an incredible year one looks primed to be back healthy coming into next season. Now possibly more explosive than ever, the country should be worried about No. 3 in the Orange and Blue.