Florida WR Eugene Wilson III to Enter Transfer Portal After Injury-Shortened 2025 Season
Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III is heading to the NCAA transfer portal, marking a significant shift for both the player and the Gators’ offense heading into 2026. The redshirt sophomore from Tampa had been expected to play a major role this past season, but injuries and a crowded receiver room ultimately derailed what many thought could be a breakout year.
Wilson, a former four-star recruit, appeared in eight games in 2025, finishing with 27 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns. He also added a handful of rushing yards on limited carries. But his season was cut short after an ankle injury that required surgery, sidelining him for the final four games.
Coming into the year, Wilson looked poised to be a featured piece in Florida’s passing attack. He was the only Gators wideout named to the preseason All-SEC team (third team, coaches poll), a nod to his potential and the flashes he showed in prior seasons. But as the year unfolded, that promise never fully materialized on the stat sheet.
Part of that was due to the emergence of younger talent. Freshmen Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III, along with UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant, became focal points in the offense, each carving out bigger roles as the season progressed.
Dallas Wilson, in particular, made an immediate splash. In his collegiate debut - a 29-21 win over Texas - he hauled in six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. It was a record-breaking performance for a Florida freshman in his first start, and it signaled a changing of the guard in the Gators’ receiver rotation.
That game also marked a turning point for Eugene Wilson III. While he was active against Texas, he logged just 23 snaps - the fifth-most among Florida wideouts - and didn’t record a single catch. It was the first time in his college career he’d played in a game without registering a reception.
Despite the quiet showing, former head coach Billy Napier had nothing but praise for Wilson’s effort, highlighting his physicality and blocking.
“He played great in the game,” Napier said at the time. “He played physical, he was tough, he blocked his ass off.
I mean, I was really impressed with the guy. The ball didn’t go his way during the game, but man, he played really well.”
Wilson bounced back later in the season with the kind of performance Florida fans had been waiting for - a nine-catch, 121-yard outing that included a 40-yard touchdown. But the momentum was short-lived. That same game, he aggravated the ankle injury that had been bothering him since the Georgia game, and it ultimately ended his season.
“He had a high ankle sprain,” interim head coach Billy Gonzales said in November. “He’s going to have a tight-rope procedure to give him the best opportunity to get back to himself… Tough son of a gun.
He got hurt during the Georgia game and pushed through it. Came back in the second half and just battled.”
Wilson’s decision to enter the portal adds his name to a growing list of Gators looking for new opportunities this offseason. He joins quarterback DJ Lagway, running back KD Daniels, wide receiver Muizz Tounkara, and defensive lineman Tarvorise Brown - all expected to officially hit the portal when it opens on January 2.
For Wilson, the move offers a fresh start after a season that never quite lived up to expectations. He’s still a talented, physical receiver with SEC experience and a high ceiling - and if he can stay healthy, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be a valuable addition to another program’s offense in 2026.