Dallas Wilson isn’t looking back at last season anymore. The Florida wide receiver has moved on from the foot injuries that shut him down, and now he says he’s healthy, leaner and moving better than before.
Wilson said he’s 15 pounds lighter and reaching speeds above 21 mph, a sign that the setback-riddled stretch is behind him. After missing fall camp a year ago, he’s set to experience what he called his “first fall camp,” and he sounded eager to see where it takes him.
“It was like a rollercoaster,” Wilson said. “There were a lot of ups and downs. I’m on that steady pace now; I just want to climb the charts.
“This will really be my first fall camp, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Florida’s staff is taking the long view with him. Wilson flashed his upside in Florida’s upset win against Texas last season, and first-year coach Jon Sumrall said the program has been careful not to rush him back before he’s fully ready.
“The biggest thing is giving him a full year of health and availability to maximize the player he can become,” Sumrall said. “He has worked as hard as anybody in our program to be ready to go.
He's had a great summer. He's looked awesome in all our OTAs.
He's full go. He's fully cleared.
He will be a guy that we need to be smart with by how we practice with him to make sure he gets to the dance each Saturday.”
Wilson also took extra steps to keep the foot issues from returning. He went to the Nike Performance Center and had specialized cleats made after going through drills there.
“They had me do a variety of drills with some tectonic plates on the floor,” Wilson said. “They did that to see how much power I was putting with my left and right foot when I was getting out of breaks and all. It all came together.
“I put on these shoes, and it feels amazing. My foot has never hurt. I wear them every day.”
Even in a receiver room that Florida views as one of its deepest, Wilson is expected to matter. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said the talent around him doesn’t change the need for Wilson to get back into the flow of the offense.
“A lot of football over the last couple years,” Faulkner said. “Obviously, been in and out of the lineup.
So he still needs those reps to polish up timing, continue to work on his ball skills, the routes. We're going to ask him to do a lot.
I think he's got a chance to be a special player. I think the biggest thing is getting back out there and getting in rhythm with the quarterbacks and getting comfortable playing in this offense."
Wilson said the injuries forced him to grow up. The experience, he said, made him more patient and more disciplined with his routine.
“I’d say it was really tough, but it taught me patience,” Wilson said. “Being very patient and sticking to my routine.
Sticking to that routine and getting really good at it. Going through that really helped me grow and mature as a man.”
For now, though, he’s not carrying the weight of expectation. He’s leaning into the competition in Florida’s receiver group and even turning it into a game with the defensive backs.
“I made a bet with all of the DBs,” Wilson said. “I got their names on a checklist like Chad Ochocinco when he was in the league for the Bengals.
I told them every day I’ll beat you (and) I’m going to keep score, by the way. We got that bet going on, and they put my name on their lockers, so that should be a lot of fun.
“I’m just ready to go out there and ball.”
In Other News...
Florida Camp Battles Are Raising One Big SEC Concern
Floridas training camp has become less about polishing an already settled roster and more about sorting through the kind of position battles that can define an entire fall. After last seasons 4-8 finish, the Gators enter this year with a clear need for steadiness, and head coach Sumrall has made it just as clear that consistency, improvement and effort have to show up across the board, especially up front and at the other spots still waiting for answers.
There has been some encouraging physical progress during summer workouts, and Florida does at least have two tune-up games to keep evaluating before the SEC grind begins. Still, the bigger concern lingers in plain sight: until the Gators turn those camp competitions into reliable answers, the questions around the roster could follow them straight into league play. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Singleton Jr. Could Change Florida's Offense Faster Than Expected
Eric Singleton Jr. is arriving in Gainesville with a built-in advantage that could help Florida faster than most transfer wideouts. The Auburn transfer is expected to play a significant role in the Gators offense this fall, and his history with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner gives him a head start in learning what Florida wants to do. With previous college production at both Georgia Tech and Auburn, Singleton already brings a track record that suggests he can be more than just a depth add.
For Florida, the appeal is obvious: a receiver who may not need a long adjustment period and could fit into the offense sooner than expected. Josh Pate has even pointed to Singleton as a possible breakout player this season, which only adds to the buzz around what he might bring to the Gators. If the familiarity with Faulkner carries over the way Florida hopes, Singleton could become one of the quicker-impact additions on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Still Defines Floridas Most Feared Era
Long before Florida became a national power under the Ol Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier was building a reputation that went far beyond wins and trophies. ESPNs Ryan McGee recently put Spurrier atop his list of college footballs greatest villains, and it is not hard to see why. He won the 1966 Heisman Trophy, later turned Florida into a force with six SEC championships and a national title, and eventually carried that same brand of swagger and success to South Carolina.
What made Spurrier so enduringly aggravating for opponents was never just the scoreboard. The jabber, the sideline barbs and the unmistakable sense that he enjoyed every bit of it all helped make him a symbol of one of the sports most feared eras. For Florida fans, it was the kind of domination that still defines an identity. For everybody else in the SEC, it was a reminder that some coaches win, and some coaches win while making sure you never forget who did the winning. [Read more 🡒]