WR Eugene Wilson III ‘cut it loose’ during Florida's first practice in full pads
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida was back on the field Sunday for the sixth practice of fall training camp. One player who had a huge night was true freshman receiver Eugene Wilson III.
It marked the third day of full contact for Wilson, who was limited for the first three practices in a non-contact jersey. Wilson showed out Sunday according to UF coach Billy Napier.
“Trey, in particular, I thought last night really cut it loose for the first time,” Napier said Monday. “He’s kind of had some soft tissue issues to start camp, so I think his presence was known out there last night. I think he’ll make our team better.”
Wilson, a five-star recruit in the On3 rankings, is expected to have an immediate impact along with fellow freshmen Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell, both of whom enrolled early. All three receivers made plays during Florida’s open practice on Saturday.
“They’re all extremely fast. I think that always helps, right? Documented speed. I think Andy, Aidan and Trey, all three, are verified fast,” Napier said. “Receiver is still a very skilled position so it’s one thing to be fast and another to play fast. There’s a mental component here relative to my assignment, my technique, my adjustment to the coverage.
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“Whether it’s steps or depth or landmarks on the field, I think we’re seeing them get comfortable. … I think those guys, they got character, they want to be good players, they’re good teammates. I think they’re hard at work trying to improve their role relative to the team.”
Napier evaluates first practice in full pads
Sunday also marked the Gators’ first practice in full pads. The team returns to the field Tuesday and will hold the first scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday.
Napier evaluated how the players performed in their first full-padded practice.
“We’re in great shape, but it’s different when you got pads on and you’re banging on each other. And so, the ability to add the gear, and then OK, we’ve got to go compete in a practice setting, right? So, there’s just a conditioning level that goes with practicing the game of football. So, I think we’re making progress there. But you know, you put those pads on for the first couple times. Last night was the first fully geared practice that we’ve had. So, we’ll continue to get better there,” Napier said. “I think reality kind of settles in that there’s only one way to get in condition to play this game.
“We can work on speed improvement, we can do conditioning tests, we can lift weights, we can do football activities in T-shirts. But I think you have to put the gear on, and you’ve got to get on the field and start working against each other. There’s a certain conditioning element to this game that is different. Certainly the fundamentals and techniques that are important at each position group, they’re different with gear on. I think we’re hard at work here trying to create a practice environment where we’re building habits that will hold up on game day, communication that will hold up on game day, fundamentals and execution that will hold up on game day against the absolute best competition in the country.”
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