Sam Leavitt and Tre Wilson have spent a lot of time in training rooms.
The ones in Tempe, AZ., and Gainesville, FL., are separated by 2,000 miles. They now share the one in Baton Rouge and will team up to help spearhead Lane Kiffin’s first LSU offense.
“We would spend a lot of time together, obviously being in the training room every day and then talking about our body,” Wilson said. “We’re always finding new ways to take care of our bodies, and we’ll just always find ourselves on the same type of schedule, especially early on in the offseason.”
Leavitt is returning to action following Lisfranc surgery. Hip, knee and ankle issues cost Wilson more than 10 games over three seasons at Florida.
Both are healthy now and acclimating to a new campus, team and system as part of the nation’s top-ranked portal class. They shared a visit to Baton Rouge in December, and Wilson knew instantly LSU was the spot for him.
“I first came here, I just kind of knew as soon as I had my first conversation with the receiver coaches before I even met Kiffin, that this was home for me because of all the authentic relationships I had already made,” Wilson said. “Then it was a whole bunch of connections I had from back in middle school and high school with former players that I used to play with in the games during high school.”
Wilson, a Tampa native, knew running backs Rod Gainey and Stacy Gage as well as cornerback DJ Pickett who all hail from that area.
Beyond relationships, Wilson is an ideal fit for LSU’s new high-flying offense built around speed and playmaking. When healthy, the former five-star recruit is as electrifying as any player in the country.
He proved that in his first season when he earned freshman All-America honors as a Gator. Now he’ll use that speed in an offense that moves at a pace that mirrors it
“I thought a lot of practices were fast when I first got to college, but once I got here it was really levels to it,” Wilson said. “So, definitely it’s a fast tempo like walkthroughs, but then when you really get into practice it goes to even another faster level.”
Leavitt will be the director of it all. That relationship that formed in the training room, continued on the practice field will start on the game field next week against Clemson.
“He’s played a lot of football, and he’s one of the smarter guys I’ve met as far as being football smart,” Wilson said of Leavitt. “He’s taught me a lot off the field and on the field, and he’s kind of brought a new perspective to me as far as playing receiver. Like, being able to see and have a different feel, finding different holes that I may not be looking at him, but I know he sees the same thing I’m seeing. So, it’s just like a great chemistry that’s building between me and him and the rest of the receivers.”
