GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After setting a University of Florida freshman record with a career-high eleven single game receptions, breaking the tie held between himself, Jabar Gaffney and Reidel Anthony a week prior, Eugene Wilson III is being recognized for his equally impressive Week 10 performance against Arkansas.
Wilson III has been named the Shaun Alexander Week 10 Freshman of the Week, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Tuesday morning.
In addition to a strong performance this previous week, he leads all FBS true freshmen in receptions per game (6.4) and ranks third in receiving yards (416) and receiving yards per game (59.4) posting 19 catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns in the last three games.
The Tampa, Florida native is the second Gator to be granted this award as his teammate Jordan Castell was honored in Week 3 after the Florida Gators contest against Tennessee.
EUGENE WILSON III WEEK 10 PERFORMANCE
The speedy receiver totaled eight receptions for ninety yards and two touchdowns.
After the Gators fell behind 14-0 early in the first quarter, Graham Mertz relied on his electrifying young receiver to get the Gators back into the contest.
Wilson III’s first score cam with 5:33 remaining in the first quarter as Mertz found #3 on a wheel route along the right sideline as he squeezed the ball between three defenders for the 19-yard score to cut the deficit to 7-14.
Just three and a half minutes later Mertz connected with Wilson III again this time on a flat route to the left side for a 6-yard score tying the game at 14 all.
Wilson II posted his first career multi-touchdown game and became the first true freshman receiver at Florida to record multiple touchdowns in a single contest since Riley Cooper recorded three vs Western Carolina on Nov. 18, 2006.
In addition to his two scores, Wilson III accounted for four of Florida’s eleven explosive plays as he tallied receptions of 19 yards (Q1), 17 yards (Q4), 18 yards (Q4), and 15 yards (Q4).
This game marked both a season and career high in receiving yards in his young career.
“He’s been like that since the day he got here,” QB Graham Mertz said on Wilson. “His emergence to everybody else, but I’ve known what kind of player he is and what he’s going to be for this place. It’s awesome.”
Wilson III and the rest of the Florida Gators will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take on the No. 18 LSU Tigers in Week 11 of the College Football season.