Report: Florida DB Kamari Wilson to Enter Transfer Portal

Florida safety and former top recruit, Kamari Wilson, will leave the Gators after two seasons with the team.

Photo: Florida safety Kamari Wilson; Credit: Alex Shepherd 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators sophomore defensive back Kamari Wilson intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Once considered a promising and rising young member of Florida's secondary, Wilson's looming exit will follow his roughly two months of inactivity for the Gators.

Wilson was removed from Florida's depth chart in Week 4 of the 2023 season and was absent from that point through its conclusion. That weekend, he was late to arrive for Florida's Week 4 matchup with Charlotte and was eventually removed from the sidelines by an assistant. 

"Yeah, Kamari Wilson didn't make the travel roster this week. So we can take 80 to the hotel, and Kamari wasn't on that list," UF head coach Billy Napier said about Wilson's situation following the game. "Yeah, it's pretty simple." 

Wilson would never appear in a game for Florida again. 

A Fort Pierce, Fla. native and product of IMG Academy, Wilson committed to Florida over Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Florida State during an early signing period ceremony near the conclusion of the 2022 recruiting cycle. 

Wilson was considered Napier’s first marquee prospect acquisition with Florida, as he was hired to lead the Gators less than a month before Wilson’s pledge, which occurred during the early signing period in December 2021. 

Wilson finished as the No. 3 safety by the 247Sports composite rankings in the class of 2022, and the No. 44 recruit nationwide.

Expectations were high for Wilson upon arrival at UF provided his consensus ranking as a prospect, and he quickly found the field as a freshman due to a lack of quality depth at the Gators’ safety position. Wilson appeared in 13 games in 2022, making two starts and recording 39 tackles with 1.5 for loss, one forced fumble and one defended pass. 

Following the offseason departures of former starters Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II, Wilson was widely projected to assume a first-team role on the backend of Florida’s defense, or at least see an uptick in usage. 

But those predictions did not come to fruition as junior Michigan transfer RJ Moten and sophomore Miguel Mitchell were the first safeties to take the field against Utah in Week 1. Freshmen Jordan Castell in Week 2 and Bryce Thornton in Week 10 surpassed Moten and Mitchell to join the first-team defense during the season, respectively.

Wilson occupied multiple special teams positions and a minor rotational defensive role over three game appearances as a sophomore, accumulating one tackle over 52 total snaps before being shelved for the year. He ultimately redshirted the season. 

Currently an undergraduate student, Wilson will be eligible to officially enter the transfer portal during its winter opening between Dec. 4, 2023, and Jan. 2, 2024. 

At least four other members of Florida's 2023 roster will accompany Wilson in the winter portal: Defensive back Jadarrius Perkins entered the portal as a graduate student following Week 2, offensive tackle Jordan Herman unofficially left the team after Week 11 and tight end Jonathan Odom and kicker Adam Mihalek revealed their plans to transfer on Sunday. 

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