Eugene Wilson draws comparisons to Percy Harvin, Kadarious Toney
Florida true freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson has already received some quality reps to start the season. But Nick de la Torre of GatorsOnline thinks he should be getting even more touches in the flow of the offense.
When asked on the Tuesday podcast episode of Andy Staples’ show which young player Florida needs to use more often, de la Torre didn’t hesitate to say Wilson, who he said has the game-breaking skillset previously seen in former Gators stars Percy Harvin and Kadarious Toney.
“I think he’s played nearly 60 snaps but just getting him touches,” de la Torre said. “The way that Urban Meyer used Percy Harvin and Percy Harvin was in the backfield just doing running back counters and running past a bunch of South Carolina Gamecocks. I’m not going to be Urban Meyer right now and say that he’s the next Percy Harvin. But like an upper middle class Percy Harvin right now, just a little bit smaller. But that same giddy up, that same step.”
Wilson has six catches for 60 yards and two carries for 27 yards through the first two games of the season.
He is tied for second on the team in receptions alongside tight end Jonathan Odom. Ricky Pearsall leads the team with 14 catches for 215 yards and one touchdown.
“I think when you look Florida’s offense, the wide receiver room was wide open,” de la Torre said. “Somebody needs to step up. Your only proven guy coming back was Ricky Pearsall. You have some older guys, a guy in Khalil Jackson, former walk on who earned a scholarship. But when I look, I’ve started calling them the 23-3 with Aiden Mizell, Andy Jean and Eugene Wilson. There’s a ton of opportunity for all three of those young guys. Obviously Eugene Wilson is the one that is getting the most opportunity but give him the ball, scheme ways just to get the ball in his hands.”
What made Harvin such a dynamic threat during his time with the Gators wasn’t just that he was an elite skill position player, arguably one of the best of the 21st century. It was also Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen didn’t put him in a box.
They put Harvin all over the field in different situations in order to give him space to make plays. That’s what Florida should try to be doing with Wilson, de la Torre said.
“Don’t make him fit your system, make your system allow him to shine,” de la Torre said. “I remember Cam Newton on a podcast saying they were literally telling Percy Harvin on the sideline, ‘hey, next play, you’re gonna go in and you’re gonna run this route.’ You don’t even need to go to the huddle. This is going to be your route for whatever the play call is. Eugene Wilson is a special talent. Outside of Ricky Pearsall, they don’t have anyone like that on the roster. I don’t know that you’ve had a player as exciting as Eugene Wilson since Kadarius Toney. To me, I don’t care if he knows what the defense is doing, just get the ball in his hands and say don’t get tackled.”