Eugene Wilson III injury update: Billy Gonzales reveals severity of ankle injury, next steps

On Monday, Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales revealed wide receiver Eugene Wilson III will have surgery on his ankle Wednesday and miss the remainder of the season. Wilson suffered the injury in Florida’s 24-20 loss to Georgia in Week 10.

In the loss, Wilson was spectacular, recording nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. After the game, Gonzales praised Wilson for fighting through the pain and giving the Gators an opportunity to win the contest down the stretch.

“He’s going to be rewarded based on how hard you work,” Gonzales said. “Couple weeks ago he wasn’t as active, as far as being able to get the ball, but he busted his butt in the blocking game.

“Obviously with a couple playmakers down, we had Aidan down, VB down, and Dallas was down here in the middle of the game. He stepped up. I’m looking at some of the numbers. He had nine catches for 121 yards. He did a great job. He’s got big play making ability.”

Wilson didn’t play in Florida’s 38-7 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. The Gators missed his presence. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway completed just 11-of-his-19 pass attempts for 83 yards. He recorded one touchdown pass, but threw three interceptions before being benched.

True freshman Tramell Jones Jr. replaced Lagway. He completed 9-of-his-17 pass attempts for 60 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown or an interception.

Florida’s J. Michael Sturdivant led the team with three catches for 29 receiving yards. After the game, Gonzales emphasized he isn’t allowing the team to give up for their final three games of the season.

“I just told them we got to get ready. Don’t splinter,” Gonzales said. “We’ve talk about persistence without exception. I just mentioned it again. When times get tough, people quit. And why do they quit? Because they start second-guessing themselves: Is this what I want to do? Is this the right thing to do? Is this where I need to be? So they veer off course.

“We’re not going to splinter. We can’t splinter. But anything from that standpoint, like I said, as far as motivation and leadership. Leadership comes from me, and I have to do a better job.”

Eugene Wilson III finished the season with 27 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Wilson is no stranger to injuries. Just four games into the 2024 campaign, Wilson suffered a season-ending injury and ultimately redshirted.

Now, Wilson will have no choice but to go through the recovery process once again. Up next, Florida will square off against No. 6 Ole Miss on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.