UF WR Tre Wilson is back, jacked and eager to make up for lost time with Gators
GAINESVILLE — The sight of Florida receiver Tre Wilson on the field is a blur again.
Wilson’s blinding speed is back. Ten pounds of muscle have been a nice addition.
Most importantly, Wilson’s confidence is running high again four months after season-ending hip surgery.
“Even in warm-ups, I’m feeling lighter, I’m feeling a lot more bouncy,” Wilson said. “The strength staff is doing their thing.”
The 20-year-old’s collar size can attest.
The 5-foot-10 Wilson said he arrived at 170 pounds but checked in at a muscled-up 191 Thursday.
“A lot of them are talking about my neck,” he said, with a smile.
The chatter about Wilson usually centers on his playmaking prowess.
“This guy’s a one-play touchdown player,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday. “When he’s out there, it makes us a lot harder to defend.”
Yet Wilson’s impact was in noticeably short supply as he essentially limped through 2024.
Something was not quite right, but he tried to soldier through a sophomore season expected to showcase his skills. As Wilson dealt with leg pain caused by his hip, he became a secondary option to transfers Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike.
After totaling 61 receptions for 538 yards and scoring a team-high 6 touchdowns, Wilson managed just 19 catches for 266 yards and a score in five games before seeking a medical solution. Last November, Dr. Ben Domb, a renowned orthopedist and his specialist performed surgery in Chicago.
Wilson called the months-long process “a struggle, but also a blessing in disguise.”
He added, “God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers. So it most definitely allowed me to grow in spots I never knew I had.”
Wilson’s patience was tested.
He watched Florida’s 27-16 win against LSU on TV as he spent his final day on crutches. A week later, Wilson returned to the sideline to enjoy the Gators’ 24-17 upset of Ole Miss Nov. 23 in the Swamp.
Even though he couldn’t play, Wilson was swept into the scene on Senior Day during a pivotal win for Napier’s program.
“It was jumping; you felt the energy just coming through,” he said.
True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway’s emergence energized the Gators in a way Wilson didn’t see coming.
“Everything boomed out of nowhere,” he said.
Before Wilson’s surgery, he and Lagway had their moments.
The two connected on a 40-yard catch Oct. 19 against Kentucky, eliciting an enthusiastic reaction and first-down signal from Wilson during his final game before surgery. It was one of five completions of at least 40 yards that day for Lagway, who had five 40-yarders a month earlier against Samford, including a 85-yard score by Wilson on a shuffle-pass.
Wilson is eager to re-established synergy and timing with Lagway, who has not thrown this spring because of an injury. Wilson himself is limited to routes against air and in 7-on-7 drills.
“There’s only so much we can do,” he said.
Napier said Lagway remain thoroughly engaged Thursday.
“He’s communicating with the other quarterbacks,” Napier said. “He’s calling in the plays in some periods, which is healthy. Seeing it from a different perspective.”
But while Lagway recovers, Wilson’s return is a sight to behold.
“Once every practice, I see that [No.] 3 in that black [non-contact] jersey,” said Napier, while making a sound of Wilson whizzing by. “When he’s healthy, he’s as good as there is. He’s on schedule and he looks like a million bucks.
“When he does go out there, he’s as impressive of a skill player as we have. I’s gonna be huge for the Gators to get him back.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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