Kamari Wilson, welcome to the big time. (Photo credit: Florida Gators)
True freshman Kamari Wilson will make his first start for the Gators this Sunday in The Swamp against FCS opponent Eastern Washington.
Fifth-year senior Trey Dean has apparently suffered a “lower body injury” and will not be available.
You may remember Kamari Wilson as the former five-star recruit who was committed to rival Georgia for awhile, flipped to Florida on National Signing Day last December. Since arriving on campus, Wilson has impressed coaches and teammates with how quickly he seemingly adjusted to the college game. And when he stepped onto the field last weekend against Tennessee, he rolled up some solid game tape.
Dean, for his part, has certainly had moments where he’s made positive impacts for the Gators. But he’s had other moments that have… well, not yielded positive impacts. A string of the latter against Tennessee, including two broken assignments that together were responsible for 115 yards, gave coaches something to think about personnel-wise at safety.
Now, though, the decision has been made for them.
In a season that has already resulted in two losses for Florida, it’s probably the right move however you slice it. Wilson is an incredibly gifted defensive back with worlds of promise, and Dean is a fifth-year senior who is still making elementary mistakes. If someone is going to miss assignments and tackles, you’d rather it be the freshman, who has at least two more years of eligibility ahead in Gainesville.
Even though Wilson was next in line on the depth chart, and even though the move was due to injury, it’s still nice to see Billy Napier not be afraid to play a true freshman. A certain former coach who shall remain nameless seldom selected his starting lineup based on merit, but rather age and experience- which mainly worked against him.
Florida’s game against Eastern Washington was initially set for Saturday, but was pushed back by 24 hours due to the approach of Hurricane Ian, which is continuing to wreak havoc on the southern parts of the Sunshine State as of this publication.
Best wishes to everybody who might be in the angry path of the monstrous Hurricane Ian. Take care of yourselves.
