Veteran WR releases letter of appreciation after six years at Florida State, entering 2023 NFL Draft
There were only two players on Florida State's roster, wide receiver Ontaria Wilson and defensive end Leonard Warner, who had the experience of playing under all three head coaches to come through the program since 2017.
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The two have dealt with a plethora of changes to the coaching staff and roster since they originally arrived in Tallahassee. In Wilson's case, he ended up playing for three head coaches (Jimbo Fisher, Willie Taggart, Mike Norvell), six offensive coordinators (Randy Sanders/Lawrence Dawsey, Walt Bell, Kendal Briles, Kenny Dillingham, Alex Atkins), and three wide receiver coaches (Lawrence Dawsey, David Kelly, Ron Dugans).
Despite the instability over the majority of his college career, Wilson's character on and off the field shined through as he stuck with Florida State. Developing into a fan favorite, he caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in his final game to help the Seminoles defeat Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl.
On Thursday afternoon, Wilson released a letter of appreciation following his six years at Florida State and also announced that he'll be turning his focus to the 2023 NFL Draft.
"Dear Nole Nation,
Words can never express how much I truly have loved playing the game of football for Florida State University. When I stepped on campus as a freshman in 2017, I knew I had made the right decision of where I wanted to play college. Florida State University along with all of the Seminole fans welcomed me with open arms, and I am honored to have played my entire collegiate career for them. I want to first thank God, my amazing family, my teammates, my teachers, and all of the coaches and staff who have helped make my time at Florida State a dream come true. I can proudly say that with their help, I was not only able to play college football for one of the most historic teams in the country, but also graduate with a degree from one of the best schools in the country.
Now that my college career has ended, I will be focusing my attention over these next few months on training and preparing for the next step in my life, the 2023 NFL Draft! No matter what team I play for, or what I do the rest of my life, I will always be a Florida State Seminole! Go Noles!
The Georgia native was a member of a 2017 recruiting class that included players like Cam Akers, Marvin Wilson, Joshua Kaindoh, Khalan Laborn, and Tamorrion Terry, among others. Funnily enough, Terry and Wilson were teammates at Turner County High School prior to signing with the Seminoles.
Wilson began his career at defensive back before switching to wide receiver. He led Florida State in receiving during Mike Norvell's first two years in Tallahassee - recording 30 catches for 382 yards and two touchdowns in 2020 along with 23 catches for 382 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Paired with talent out of the NCAA Transfer Portal and developing young talent on the outside this past season, Wilson finished with a career-high 30 catches for 495 yards and four touchdowns. He saved his best performances for big-time games. Outside of his packed stat line against Oklahoma, he also caught seven passes for a season-high 102 yards and two scores to lead the Seminoles against LSU.
In total, he concluded his career at Florida State by appearing in 51 games, with 36 starts, recording 108 catches for 1,521 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also recorded seven rushes for 57 yards and a score.
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