Two Gators Who Need More Snaps with Eugene Wilson III Out

With Eugene Wilson III out for the second-straight week, here are two young receivers who should see more snaps on Saturday.

Florida Gators wide receiver Tank Hawkins (10) celebrates his touchdown during the second half to make it 21-0 after the extra point at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Florida Gators won 45-7 over the Bulldogs. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

With injuries come opportunities. When one man goes down, it has to be a next-man-up mentality. 

This is, once again, the case for the Florida Gators as they head into their Week Four matchup against Mississippi State without Eugene Wilson III. They were without him last weekend as well in their loss to Texas A&M. fr

Losing Wilson III is a heavy blow for an already underperforming offense. It loses arguably its best offensive threat and best playmaker on the roster for the second week in a row and will make life just a little more difficult for the Gators' rotating quarterbacks. 

Without Wilson III, the Gators are losing tons of speed and someone once said this world is built on speed in space. So, if you’re wanting to replace him and not lose the wheels on the outside, why not just plug in guys who can keep up with some of the fastest NFL players as well?

Fortunately for the Gators, they have track stars sitting behind Wilson who can help cover for his absence. The two players who instantly come to mind to step into Wilson’s position and put their talents on display are freshmen Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins Jr.  and TJ Abrams.

Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins Jr.

Tank Hawkins might be one of, if not, the fastest guys on this team. Back in high school, Hawkins ran a 6.70 60-meter dash to take first place at the 2023 Florida Indoor Championships. This puts him up there with NFL star, and speed demon himself, Tyreek Hill, who also ran a 6.70 in the same competition. 

Hawkins’ speed allows him to be an ideal replacement because you can use him on the jet motions to create havoc for opposing defenses just as they do with Wilson. Getting him out wide and in one-on-one situations gives him the chance to make defenders miss and to turn small plays into bigger ones.

Florida fans also caught a glimpse of Hawkins' abilities in Florida’s win over Samford. At the beginning of the third quarter, DJ Lagway connected with him for a 36-yard touchdown after he burnt the defensive backs and found himself wide open in the end zone. 

TJ Abrams 

Going with youth sometimes isn’t always the best option, but you don’t know what you have until you put it to the test. 

With TJ Abrams, he’s a true freshman just like Hawkins and is also lightning quick on the field. The former Dunbar High School product posted several sub-11 second times in the 100-meter dashes in his sophomore year, per 247 Sports. 

Now, Abrams hasn’t had the opportunity to make an impact yet in front of the Gator faithful, but if he’s given a chance, then maybe he can show just how good he is. 

Either way, the Gators are going to need someone to step up in place of Wilson III and these options would be near like-for-like swaps for the Gators.

Florida (1-2) @ Mississippi State (1-2)

Saturday's kickoff between Florida and Mississippi State begins at noon EST with television coverage on ESPN. The Gators are considered 6.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel.