When it rains in Gainesville, it pours. Fall camp is only in its second week, and already Florida’s injury report reads like the end of a battlefield scroll. The Gators WR room is in the medical tent more than on the field. Eugene Wilson III, Aidan Mizell, and Muizz Tounkara. All hurt and absent. Senior wideout Kahleil Jackson is still rehabbing an ACL tear from last season. RB Treyaun Webb just had surgery on a ruptured hamstring. And QB DJ Lagway somehow couldn’t stay 100% healthy. And now, another major name joins the list.
The latest headliner is Dallas Wilson, a 6’3 freight train of a freshman WR who was penciled into Billy Napier‘s early-season plans. But that plan hit a halt as he’s now sidelined with a lower-leg injury. Per Gator Country’s Nick Marcinko, the Tampa Bay Tech phenom is in a hard cast below the knee and out for multiple weeks. So what now? Before you throw your hands up to surrender and sink into despair, there’s another update on him.
“Dallas Wilson will play.” That came straight from Florida insider Nick de la Torre who saw the banged-up WR still cracking jokes at practice this week. “Even today when I saw him at practice, still joking around. but just a different kind of player you’re going to see when he’s healthy,” he said on Gators Breakdown on August 6. “You’re going to see a lot of Dallas Wilson in the fall. And it’ll be interesting to see because you want him to take every single rep that he can take.” The only question is how soon?
Dallas Wilson was more than just another blue-chip 4-star recruit. Originally committed to Oregon, he voided his National Letter of Intent, flipped to Florida, and immediately made noise. During the SEC Media Days in July, Billy Napier threw light on his “unique” recruitment. “Dallas actually contacted us. I think he asked out of his national letter and then contacted us,” he said. “We recruited Dallas the entire, ever since we knew he was a really good player. But, look, Dallas is going to make our team better.” And he’s already done that.
During the Orange and Blue game, Dallas Wilson went off with 10 catches for 195 yards and 2 TDs. Deemed one of ESPN’s “Three freshmen to watch,” he was already attracting national attention before even playing a snap in college. His physique even fooled Torre who said, “I remember when I saw him, I’m like, that looks like a 4-star linebacker and physically. And then I saw him move, I’m like, and that’s a 5-star receiver. He’s just a different kind of athlete.” And now that he’s down, Gator Nation’s holding its breath. All this only amplifies the concern around one guy who cannot afford to be less than 100%. DJ Lagway.
What’s the health status of DJ Lagway?
DJ Lagway, the blue-chip QB who injected life into the Gators’ 2024 finish with a 6-1 run, remains the axis of hope for this offense. He threw for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns last season but he’s been banged up ever since. He was spotted in a walking boot last month and limited during spring activities. Billy Napier continues to call him “day-to-day,” and while the program insists it’s precautionary, you can’t ignore the cloud hanging over the offense.
According to On3, “Some sources have described the quarterback as ‘75 to 80% healthy’ at this point. Another factor in Lagway not being a full participant in camp has been precautionary to avoid a setback ahead of the season opener on August 30.” With Dallas Wilson out and DJ Lagway limited, the Gators are rolling the dice on depth and chemistry. Florida’s most experienced returning receiver didn’t even wear a Gator jersey last year. That’s J. Michael Sturdivant, the UCLA transfer with 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
The duo’s been building rapport but without a full arsenal and a shaky WR room, it’s fair to ask if this offense is going to find its footing before the August 30th opener against LIU. Because when your No. 1 WR recruit and your starting QB are both limping in camp, it doesn’t matter how much talent you have on paper, the season doesn’t wait.
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