Florida football wide receiver Eugene Wilson III received a loud ovation shortly after throwing out the first pitch at a recent UF baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark.
The second-grader threw himself from the mound, and even though he jumped the plate briefly, the cheers still rang out.
As the Florida Gators' leading returning receiver in 2024, the 5-foot-10, 181-pound Wilson had an electrifying performance in UF's spring game, finishing the game with 8 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.
“I just feel like that set the standard,” Wilson said. “It’s something I want to make a habit of every game this year.”
Wilson has quickly become one of the faces of the Florida football program after a breakthrough 2023 season. His six touchdown catches led all UF receivers, and he earned Freshman All-SEC and All-America honors with 61 catches for 533 yards.
This led to opportunities for names, images and likenesses, as Wilson's appearance at the baseball game was part of a Florida Victorious event. He also has NIL contracts with Alsander GNV, a student housing complex near campus, Crunch Fitness and Through the Storm apparel. As part of the deal with Through the Storm, Wilson will donate $3 of all T-shirt sales to his local youth soccer team, the Keystone Bills.
The Florida football schedule for the 2024 season includes ways to get the ball into the hands of Wilson, who coaches and teammates call Tre.
“We’re going to get our money’s worth with Tre Wilson,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “I can promise you that.”
How the Super Bowl-winning dad pushed Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III
The breakout season didn't come without hard work. Since elementary school, Wilson has trained extensively with his father, Eugene Wilson Jr., a former All-American defensive back at Illinois who went on to a seven-year NFL career with the New England Patriots (2003-07) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008 ) and Houston Texans (2009–10).
The elder Wilson won two straight Super Bowls with the Patriots under Bill Belichick in 2004 and 2005, around the time Trey was born.
“That was kind of the plan,” said Wilson Jr. “I wanted to have my kids early so that when they got older I could still move around and play with them or train with them…” I was about 23 , when I had Tre, and I mean, it was just great to be able to interact with your child in a sports environment.”
A native of Merrillville, Indiana, in the northwest part of the state, Wilson Jr. chose to move to Tampa because of the weather and the opportunities high school football in Florida offered his son. Tre moved in with his father when he was 11 years old.
“I taught him how to get in shape by running,” said Wilson Jr. “I showed him workouts and things he could do on his own, but at the same time we went out and had him run routes and throw balls, and sometimes He ran routes on me.”
When Tre Wilson was a sophom*ore in high school, he beat his father at practice at a local park.
“He turned on his little camera and we made releases,” said Wilson Jr. “He shook me and my foot slipped out from under me and I slipped.”
The video clip made the rounds among family and friends.
“Everyone in the family has heard about it,” Wilson Jr. said. “But I don’t feel bad about it. If someone wants to do that to me, I want my son to do it, so it was a pretty funny clip, and you know, he was really excited and excited about it.”
Tre Wilson was a two-way player at Gaither High in Tampa, where he played both wide receiver and defensive back, but gravitated toward wide receiver during his junior and senior years.
“His junior year, he really learned a lot with training as a receiver,” said Wilson Jr. “Once we got into the games, it was just night and day. Man, this guy is destined to catch the ball and score touchdowns. He makes it look pretty easy sometimes.”
How Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III is approaching the offseason
Tre Wilson still trains with his father in Tampa in the offseason, lifting weights in the family garage after father and son built a bench press and squat rack during the COVID pandemic.
“At his age, he still has it,” Tre Wilson said. “So he helps me with relaxation work, even just conditioning, it doesn’t matter.”
Napier said Wilson's training with his father helped him quickly adjust to the college game, even though he didn't enroll early for 2023 like many of his freshman teammates. Wilson appeared in 10 games as a UF freshman and made seven starts.
“One of the things I love about Tre is that when you talk to your dad, it’s no nonsense,” Napier said. “He raised Tre right. Tre is a competitor, he is tough. He definitely understands the business side; he has great exercise habits; he trains his butt; and he is engrossed in the game. He is a student of the game and has worked on his skills.”
