Florida Reemerges in Recruitment of Elite DB Prospect

There was a period of time in which elite defensive back DJ Pickett no longer considered the Gators in his recruitment despite Florida's long pursuit. That has since changed.

Following former Gators secondary coach Corey Raymond's dismissal from the program the month before, elite class of 2025 defensive back from Tampa (Fla.) Zephyrhills, DJ Pickett, dropped Florida from contention in his recruitment last December.

Pickett named Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, Alabama and Miami as the frontrunners in the race for his services on Dec. 21, 2023. He made a light tweak in early February, adding LSU and removing Alabama from the group at the time. 

The list has since expanded, becoming a top six. Pickett shared with On3 Sports on Thursday that Florida, alongside Florida State, has reemerged in his recruitment, with Michigan no longer in the running. 

"The plan now is to be patient. I will take a couple of visits this spring, the four official visits in June, then a couple early in the season and commit on Oct. 6," Pickett said via On3 Sports.

Pickett has yet to schedule an official visit to UF, but it is worth noting the ground new Gators secondary coach Will Harris has covered to reposition Florida in the battle for Pickett's eventual commitment. 

Before cutting his list to five schools late last year, Pickett considered Florida among his top 13, which he released last August. He's paid the Gators five unofficial visits throughout his recruitment, including two trips to The Swamp during the 2023 season, to witness UF's matchups against Tennessee and Charlotte.

Now, Harris and Florida will vie for one of Pickett's in-season official visits, which have yet to be finalized, and continue to push for him to don orange and blue in college. 

It would be unsurprising if UF receives further unofficial visits from Pickett, although the program has hosted him more times than any other to date.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Pickett has been courted at both cornerback and safety as he ascends to the next level. The 247Sports composite rankings regard him as the No. 3 cornerback and No. 7 overall prospect in the class of 2025, making him a consensus five-star recruit.

Pickett has accumulated 70 total tackles including two for loss, five interceptions (including two pick-sixes), three passes defended and one forced fumble over two varsity seasons with Zephyrhills. He posted 95 receptions for 1,919 yards and 27 touchdowns offensively between 2022-23. 

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