Graham Mertz reveals moment he knew Eugene 'Tre' Wilson was 'legit'

Unlike most of Florida’s 2023 recruiting class, Eugene ‘Tre’ Wilson III didn’t enroll early. He didn’t participate in spring practice and was initially limited when practice began.

But shortly after he started practicing in full, he showed Graham Mertz and the Gators what he could do.

“We were in camp and I threw him a little a little out route,” Mertz told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “He just hit his right foot and turned around and spun out and went and scored. I looked at coach and he looked at me and he was like, ‘Yep.'”

Wilson took off from there, leading Florida with six touchdowns while finishing second on the roster with 538 yards as a freshman. He was one of the top playmakers for the Gators in an up-and-down season for the offense.

But Wilson made quite the impression, even if he wasn’t there for the spring. Mertz said Wilson wasn’t at full strength in the summer, either, but he and Billy Napier shared a look just a few practices in when they knew the wide receiver was special.

“He came in this summer, and I think he had a little injury,” Mertz said. “He was banged up, recovering. So we didn’t really see him in the summer. But he was still around the team.

“And then, we get into camp and we hit about — I think it was practice four or five. And we were like, ‘Alright. This guy’s legit.’ Even just outside of football, I mean, he’s such a he’s such an awesome guy. His locker’s right down right down the hall from mine, I see him every day.”

Wilson’s 2023 performance earned him a spot on the On3 True Freshman All-American Team as he cemented himself as a key playmaker for the Gators. He arrived in Gainesville as a four-star recruit and the No. 106-ranked recruit in the nation from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3’s own evaluators, however, ranked Tre Wilson as a five-star prospect and the No. 32-ranked player in the On300 rankings. On3 was the only recruiting service to rate Wilson as a five-star.

“Very dynamic with the ball in his hands,” said On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power. “Outstanding mover. Has outstanding functional moving skills. Really quick and can make defenders miss in space. Had some great moments over the course of the season, especially the second half of the season after he came back from injury.

“He had a touchdown on the opening drive against Georgia. Had two touchdowns against Arkansas and I think just continued to show his high-end talent. Moving forward, he’s a key piece for Florida and their offense. A guy who figures to be a building block moving forward for Billy Napier and his staff and one who has a very promising future in Gainesville.”