The LSU Tigers will be heading into 2026 with brand new expectations following a down year in 2025. The source of the Tigers' new expectations and renewed excitement is the hiring of Lane Kiffin to become the program's new head coach.
Kiffin went to work to build out a roster that can compete both in the SEC and for a potential run to a national title ahead of his first season in charge. And Kiffin did plenty throughout the transfer portal, bringing in three of the top players available in quarterback Sam Leavitt, left tackle Jordan Seaton, and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen.
In total, the Tigers have 40 new faces on their squad out of the transfer portal, with some of them being looked at to have immediate impacts in the 2026 season. And one of those additions flew under the radar and could potentially become a crucial piece for LSU.
Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III grabs a pass with pressure from Georgia Bulldogs safety Zion Branch. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Kiffin and the Tigers had to completely rebuild the wide receiver room after the roster turnover from last season meant that they lost nearly all of their production. With the dire need of rebuilding the room from scratch, Kiffin brought in 10 wide receivers out of the transfer portal.
The biggest name that the Tigers pulled out of the transfer portal was Winston Watkins Jr., who follows Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU. However, there's another SEC transfer who could make a big impact for the Tigers' offense in 2026, Florida transfer Eugene Wilson III.
Wilson III makes his way to Baton Rouge after spending his first three seasons in Gainesville, where he carved out a role for himself. In three years with the Gators, Wilson III totaled 107 receptions for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The wide receiver has battled through injury over his last two seasons with the Gators, limiting his production and impact on the field. However, when fully healthy, Wilson III can be a dynamic wide receiver, as he proved as a true freshman.
Wilson III made a name for himself in his first season as a Gator back in 2023. The wide receiver was second on the team in both receptions and yards, totaling 61 receptions for 538 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns.
The injuries have hindered Wilson from becoming one of the wideouts in the SEC. In his next two seasons combined, Wilson III doesn't get close to the numbers he put up as a freshman, totaling 46 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns in 2024 and 2025.
Now in his fourth season of college football, if Wilson can put together a healthy season and get back to the form that he had in 2023, the Tigers would get a big-time weapon in the passing game. The five-foot-ten wide receiver can be a dynamic threat in the slot and someone who can extend the field for Kiffin's offense.
The Tigers' offense will need several of their wide receiver additions to step up, and be reliable targets for Leavitt and Wilson III could be one of those who make the leap.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as Why Eugene Wilson III Is Wild Card At WR For LSU Tigers .
