Florida’s preseason buzz keeps building, and two of the program’s youngest names just got a bigger spotlight.
Wide receiver Dallas Wilson and cornerback Ben Hanks III were both included on Maxwell Football’s 2026 Shaun Alexander Freshmen Player of the Year Watch List, which was released Wednesday afternoon. For a Gators team already drawing attention for its top returning playmakers, the recognition adds another layer to what’s shaping up as a promising young core.
Wilson arrived with plenty of expectation after being a former four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The Tampa native was ranked the No. 8 wide receiver in the class by 247Sports Composite before signing with Florida, and he wasted no time flashing that talent once he got on the field.
Though he played in only four games and took a redshirt year, Wilson still produced 12 catches for 174 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest outing came against Texas, when he hauled in six passes for 111 yards and two scores.
With Eugene Wilson gone this offseason, Dallas Wilson has a clearer path to a larger role in Year 2. Florida also added former Auburn receiver Eric Singleton Jr. through the transfer portal, giving head coach Jon Sumrall a trio of Vernell Brown III, Singleton and Wilson that looks primed to be one of the SEC’s top receiving groups this season.
Hanks is aiming for a similar rise on the other side of the ball. The Miami native entered college with a strong reputation of his own, arriving as the No. 8 cornerback in the country in the 2025 cycle, according to 247Sports Composite.
He didn’t see much action as a true freshman, but he made his snaps count. In three games during the 2025 season, Hanks finished with eight tackles and closed the year with a two-pass breakup, one interception performance against Florida State.
For Florida, the watch list nods are another sign that the future may be arriving faster than expected.
In Other News...
Jack Pyburn Suddenly Has A Decision Florida Fans Need To Watch
A Louisiana courts temporary relief for 16 players has created an unusual new wrinkle for Jack Pyburn, the former Florida and LSU pass rusher who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. The ruling could open the door for another college football season even after NFL contracts are already in place, provided the players return the compensation tied to that pro deal.
For Florida fans, Pyburns name now sits in the middle of a bigger conversation about eligibility, player movement and what happens when the college and pro paths collide so quickly. LSU has been mentioned in connection with his possible return, and the situation leaves a very real decision hanging over a player who only just took the next step in his football career. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got A Reminder Of What It Lost In The Backcourt
Gonzagas addition of Xaivian Lee offers a small window into what Florida was dealing with when it let him go, because the guard arrives in Spokane with the same kind of steady production that made him useful in Gainesville. Lee came to Florida after his time at Princeton and averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 assists last season, a blend of scoring and playmaking that would have fit naturally into a backcourt trying to replace a lot of lost production.
For Florida, the reminder is less about one departure than about the uncertainty around the whole rotation. Javon Bennett and Isiah Harwell are among the names in the mix, but the Gators still have pieces whose status hinges on court orders or NCAA clearance, which leaves the backcourt picture unsettled heading into the next stage of the offseason. Losing a player like Lee does not settle those questions, and it only sharpens them. [Read more 🡒]
Florida May Have Found An Early Defensive Breakout Candidate
A fresh defensive staff has spent the spring sorting through Floridas secondary, and one of the names that kept coming up was redshirt freshman cornerback Ben Hanks III. ESPN pegged him as a potential sleeper breakout candidate for the upcoming season, and it is easy to see why the buzz started building after he flashed in limited action last year, appearing in three games and making an early impression with eight tackles, an interception and two pass breakups.
Hanks real momentum, though, seems to have come from what he showed to Floridas new coaches in spring practice. With coordinator Brad White now shaping the defense, Hanks is expected to have a much larger role this season, which gives the Gators a young corner with a chance to carve out meaningful snaps before the year gets away from them. The question now is how quickly that spring promise translates once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]