Freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson looked nothing like a freshman during Florida’s spring game. The 6’3, 209-pound receiver set an Orange and Blue game record with 10 receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns. His 195 receiving yards tied the Orange and Blue record set by Trevon Grimes in 2019.
“I think the ball went his direction today. I think we were able to take advantage of the match-ups, the situations. He made some plays and not all those were routine. I thought some of those were really impressive. He’s a big, physical player,” head coach Billy Napier said on Wilson’s performance.
It was clear from the first day of spring practice that Dallas Wilson was special. The first thing that stood out was his size. Standing at 6’3, 209 pounds, Wilson looked the part of an SEC receiver from day one. The next thing I noticed was his speed and elite footwork out of his breaks. Lastly, Wilson presented a high level of confidence that is rare from a true freshman at any position.
“I think the toughness that he showed in practice I’ve been impressed with his football intelligence, how he’s been able to retain information and obviously you don’t produce like that today unless you’re been really working hard, so he’s had a good offseason and when given opportunities today, I thought he took full advantage of it. So we’ve seen a lot of that in practice,” Napier said. “Like I told you guys before, these rankings are a little more accurate than they’ve ever been and I’d say that’s what a Five-Star looks like.”
While Wilson was open a majority of the spring game, he couldn’t have put together the day he had without quarterback Harrison Bailey, who found Wilson in stride on a number of different routes including some difficult out route throws across the field.
“I was stoked to have Dallas when they announced the teams, and I told him as soon as they put it up on the screen that he was going to have 10-plus catches, 200-plus, like… I was going to find a way to get him the ball. That’s one of the jobs of a quarterback, getting the play-makers the ball and let them make plays,” Harrison said on his freshmen receiver.
Despite winning the contest, team Blue was noticing what the former five star was accomplishing on the gridiron.
“I was watching. The kid was unreal. I wish he was on my team. The kid’s a stud,” team Blue quarterback Aidan Warner said on Wilson. “He’s big, he’s athletic. He’s making plays people his size shouldn’t be making and he’s a freshman. So, I mean, he’s competing with our DBs who are some of the best, I think, in the SEC, and he’s super young, so his ceiling is, I mean, sky’s the limit for him.”
Wilson displayed elite body control and the ability to track the football. The Tampa native can beat you at all three levels of the defense, as proven in the spring game. Wilson totaled 51 YAC while snagging five catches of 20+ yards including a long of 31. It’s really early to label Wilson a star in the league as he hasn’t taken an official snap yet. But the reality is freshmen are relied on more than ever in today’s game, and Wilson could be a significant contributor in year one.