Billy Napier addresses bizarre absence of safety Kamari Wilson against Charlotte

Untitled designby:Nick de la Torre•09/23/23•

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When the Florida Gators took the field on Saturday to warm up for their game against Charlotte, sophomore safety Kamari Wilson was not seen with the team. Wilson was not with the team for warmups or with the the Gators when they ran out of the tunnel at the start of the game.

Wilson — who was not on the injury report this week or listed on the depth chart — walked out on to the field in the middle of the first quarter in shorts and a jersey. He made his way to the Florida sideline but was met by Gators strength and conditioning assistant speed coach Ed Thompson, who escorted Wilson back into the tunnel and toward the Florida locker room.

“Kamari Wilson didn’t make the travel roster this week,” Napier said when he was asked after the game. “We can take 80 to the hotel and Kamari wasn’t on that list. Yeah, I mean, that’s pretty simple.”

Players who are not on the travel roster don’t go to the team hotel the night before the game. That means they are responsible for getting to the stadium and into the locker room on their own. Napier wouldn’t go into any more detail as to why Wilson wasn’t on the field with the rest of the team — players that are both on and not on the travel roster that week.

Napier also offered no explanation as to why Wilson was quickly taken off the sideline after showing up late.

Wilson lost starting spot, then reps during first month of the seaosn

Wilson played in all 13 games for the Gators as a freshman in 2022 and made two starts. He finished the season with 39 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup. Heading into spring practice, Wilson was taking all of the first team reps at safety. When the team made it to fall camp, freshman Jordan Castell started to eat into those reps.

Castell has gone on to earn a starting role next to sophomore Miguel Mitchell. The true freshman from Orlando has played more snaps than any player on the Gators’ defense.

“He showed out in the spring, but his progression from the spring to the fall was just tremendous,” Mitchell said of Castell. “I feel like he made a great jump. Even though he’s a young guy, he has a mature attitude about him and he just brings that and shows it every day.”

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