Gators coach Billy Napier says Tre Wilson looks like ‘a million bucks'
MIRAMAR BEACH — Before bolting Wednesday from the SEC meetings, where portal windows and playoff formats have dominated talks, Gators football coach Billy Napier sat down with two in-state reporters to discuss topics more indigenous to his fan base.
Such as the fate of cornerback Dijon Johnson, the progress of receiver Tre Wilson, and the potential of heralded freshman pass catcher Dallas Wilson. For good measure, we tossed in Napier's thoughts on the playoff models and possible play-in games being pondered by the SEC.
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Here are excerpts from the conversation (edited for brevity and clarity).
On cornerback Dijon Johnson (the Wharton High alumnus arrested in early May on two felonies):
'We'll handle all the discipline internally. We're gonna let things take their course. We started some of that process with (Dijon) in-house already. (Dijon's) back in summer school and he's working with our team. He's got good representation, and we'll let it take its course.'
Is there a level of disappointment?
'I think there's some lessons to be learned, and we'll keep it at that. ... I think that hopefully it will be a teachable moment not only for him but for the entire team and for young people in general.'
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On receiver (and Gaither alumnus) Tre Wilson's progress this spring following knee surgery and a procedure to correct a genetic hip issue:
'Tre did great. He did practice quite a bit. Black jersey, we kept him out of contact, and I think he did everything to some degree. We just kept him out of contact. He looked like a million bucks. It was a daily reminder like, 'Forgot about that guy.'
'He's one of the best players that we have this year. ... He's also a really good work ethic, practice player; rubs off on the other players. He's hungry to get back. It's unfortunate the situation he had, but he'll be back. That's one of the story lines nobody's talking about.'
On Wilson's role as a freshman (in 2023) and how it will evolve in 2025:
'Trying to get him touches. You're trying to make it simple for him (as a rookie), keep him involved when he's young. Look, the guy, he can run the full route tree. He'll be a player as long as he's working the way that he has been working. And he is healthy. We'll be intentional about his involvement, for sure.'
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On freshman receiver (and Tampa Bay Tech alum) Dallas Wilson's huge spring game and his potential impact in 2025:
'I think being a mid-year (enrollee) helps you. And I think in college football, systematically, you better be able to get a first-year player ready to go, whether it's portal or an incoming freshman. Nowadays, you got skill players, they better be able to contribute to your team if they're good enough.
'So, obviously, Dallas had a great spring and a big summer coming up for him to take the next step. But one thing about Dallas is, his motor runs hot. He's working. He's durable. He really handled the practice load. He was one of those rookies where he handled it well. That was what was impressive to me, was the toughness, the ability to keep going.'
Can he be in the elite class of freshman pass catchers we saw in 2024, such as Alabama's Ryan Williams and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith?
'Yeah, I think I'm going to stick with what you said earlier, not play the comparison game. But I do think there's a difference between spring practice, the spring game, and then, OK hey, now it's time to go compete against the best players in the world.
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'That's essentially what he's getting ready to do this fall. So I always talk to those guys like, 'Can you win a matchup against the best corners in the world?' That's what we're asking him to do.'
On the Gators' organized team activities schedule:
'Tuesday, Thursday, essentially, and then we do some voluntary work on Saturdays. But for the most part, we do 14 of them throughout the summer. Some of that is player-run, some of that is summer access with the players. We've been doing that for years. The format has changed, so now it's a little bit more coordinated than it has been in the past, but it's still a critical time for your team in terms of leadership, the development of roles, guys finding their voice amongst the team.'
On the proposed 16-team playoff model and the proposed play-in model (in which six to eight SEC teams would have play-in games to determine the league's playoff spots):
'To me, you have two variables that are important. No. 1, we need to create more revenue. How do you do that? Is that a ninth regular-season (SEC) game? Is that the play-in model? Is that a partnership with the Big Ten? Who knows? I think a lot of things contribute to that.
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'But ... from an athletic department perspective, given revenue share, where do we go to create more funds? That's No. 1. And then No. 2, how do we get as many teams as possible into the playoff as a conference? So it's a Catch-22 there to some degree. So I think that's what we're looking for.'
On whether he expects quarterback DJ Lagway to be 100% by the season opener:
'Yeah, confident he will be.'
• • •
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