Florida Gators 2024 Senior Bowl Recap

How did Gators NFL Draft prospects, Ricky Pearsall and Kingsley Eguakun, perform during the week of the 2024 Senior Bowl?

On paths toward the NFL, Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and center Kingsley Eguakun took part in the 2024 Senior Bowl week of practices and prospect all-star game over the past week, standing out in front of pro personnel and decision-makers as they aim to strengthen their draft statuses. 

Pearsall, Florida's leading receiver in 2022 and 2023, did not participate in the Senior Bowl game Saturday after shining during the week of practices. 

After measuring in at 6-foot and 7/8 inch, 193 pounds with 30 and 3/4-inch arms, Pearsall made a handful of highlight-worthy grabs and routinely created separation against defensive backs similarly on the NFL's radar. 

Roman Wilson and Ladd McConkey have been great, but Florida WR Ricky Pearsall may be my favorite receiver so far

Smooth, fast, uses his hands well, and consistently brings in tough catches pic.twitter.com/FnpxqlwLtT

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) January 31, 2024

WR group standing out early here at @seniorbowl. @GatorsFB WR Ricky Pearsall is one of them.

Clean win off press and a nice contested catch for the touchdown in 1-on-1s pic.twitter.com/S8PaVtmbmu

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 30, 2024

“Quick and fast and has been impressive as a route runner,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Pearsall on Thursday, according to On3 Sports. “He has been really able to separate. You see it with double moves when you watch his tape at Florida. [Quarterbacks] can also just get the ball in his hands and let him run with it after the catch.” 

Pearsall's knack for getting open and hauling in acrobatic catches is no surprise to those who observed the Chandler, Ariz. native during his time at UF. A 2022 Arizona State transfer, Pearsall posted 98 receptions for 1,626 yards (16.6 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns with the Gators. 

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Pearsall is currently being projected as a consensus early third-round pick, holding the No. 73 overall ranking. 

As for Eguakun, the five-year Gator made the moat of his opportunities after a high-ankle sprain, which was suffered during fall training camp and lingered through the rest of the season, hampered his 2023 campaign. Following 26 consecutive starts in the middle of UF's offensive line between 2021-22, Eguakun was limited to four in 2023, in Weeks 3, 5, 9 and 10. 

But with nearly three months of recovery between his final game with UF and the Senior Bowl, the 6-foot-3 and 1/4 inch, 300-pound, 32 and 3/4-inch-armed Eguakun impressed onlookers throughout the week of practices and went on to start at center for the National Team on Saturday. 

Every Kingsley Eguakun 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/4zr4ZXnYpo

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 2, 2024

Although the offensive line featured a rotation on each series to begin the game, Eguakun was re-inserted on multiple occasions to bolster the play of the unit, including once mid-drive. 

Per All Gators' scouting, Eguakun did not allow a single quarterback pressure or sack in the game, one in which the National Team leaned on its passing game to beat the American Team, 16-7. 

Of note, Eguakun perfectly executed a sliding zone block on a 2nd-and-10 run-pass-option, selling the run to the linebackers and opening a passing window for quarterback Sam Hartman to target wide receiver Luke McCaffrey on a slant route for a first down. 

Between the conclusion of his college career and the Senior Bowl, Eguakun's NFL Mock Draft Database ranking has jumped from No. 586 to No. 237, currently making him a seventh-round projection. 

Pearsall and Eguakun highlight Florida's class of 2024 NFL Draft prospects and are not joined by any scholarship underclassmen making an early jump to the pros from UF. Both should be considered likely to receive invitations to the upcoming NFL Combine, which will begin Feb. 29 in Indianapolis, Ind. 

Note: 2024 Senior Bowl statistics and participation reports were not made available by press time. 

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