Gators Could Get Injured WR Back Against Texas

Florida's offense has struggled mightily in 2025, but this player's return could be a step in the right direction.

Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson could make his debut against Texas. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

The talk of spring and fall camp, Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson was one of the most anticipated true freshmen the program had seen in a long time.

However, a foot injury late into camp has kept the former five-star sidelined through Florida’s offensive struggles this year, leaving the Gators' offense in dire need of plays without one of their best playmakers.

Returning to practice last week, the explosive wideout Wilson could soon make his first appearance as a Gator in the 2025 season, adding a much-needed element to what has been a struggling passing attack this year.

“Oh man, just having him out there is going to be just amazing for us,” DJ Lagway said about Wilson on Monday. “His ability to go deep, his ability to make plays underneath, being able to make miraculous plays with the ball in his hand. It is going to be great to have him back.”

Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson missed the first four games of the season with a foot injury. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Wilson has been truly dominant since arriving on campus at Florida, consistently making plays in a strong first offseason, punctuated by a record-breaking spring game performance where he caught 10 passes for 195 yards. Getting back onto the field over the bye week, the freshman focuses on building a much-needed chemistry with a young quarterback who has seemingly lacked it with other Gators receivers.

“It was great to practice with him and I’m excited to continue to grow. Everyday I get to throw to him is a fun day, so I am excited to get out there and throw with him today and continue to work on our chemistry,” Lagway said. “Being able to connect downfield with some marquee guys and just having that confidence and that ability to trust my receivers and just continue to build that chemistry with those guys is priceless.”

Wilson’s return comes as much-needed for Florida, whose offense has been one of the worst not just in the conference but across the entire nation so far this year. Surprisingly, Lagway and the Gators have struggled mightily throwing the ball downfield, having yet to complete an attempt at least 20 yards downfield against an FBS opponent in 2025.

“It’s definitely an area where we need to improve, whether it is missed opportunities or protection issues or just lack of call of vertical plays. I think there's parts of that as well,” head coach Billy Napier said Monday. “I think all things contribute to it, and we need to do a better job in the vertical passing game. It was a point of emphasis last week.”

With Wilson now day-to-day and seemingly on the right path to playing against Texas in Week 6, the addition to Florida’s weapons in the air seems like an obvious help for Napier as he tries to unlock the offense and his young gunslinger.

“Look, when your best players are available, that definitely helps. So, I think that's part of it,” Napier said on Wilson’s return potentially helping their downfield passing. “But look, it's all parts here. It's not one specific thing, I think it's a number of things. And we're all trying to solve it.”

Now headed into another seemingly ‘must-win’ game against a top-ranked opponent, Wilson will be yet another weapon with the ability to make Florida’s offense hard to stop, with Napier and staff needing to figure out a way to utilize them before the roster becomes a what-could-have-been moment in Gators history.