Anthony Richardson on Gators WR Ricky Pearsall: ‘We’ll Be on the Same Page’

Anthony Richardson breaks down what wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will bring to the Florida Gators.

Entering the offseason, one of Florida's biggest immediate needs was speed at wide receiver. 

Upon the conclusion of spring camp, Gators head coach Billy Napier recognized the issue and addressed it, able to snag former Arizona State rising senior Ricky Pearsall out of the transfer portal in May.

It's safe to say the move pleased Florida starting quarterback Anthony Richardson. 

“I like Ricky," Richardson said on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "He’s shifty, smooth, he’s efficient. He’s smart, too.

"He brings speed to the team. When we have conditioning tests and we're running and stuff, everybody is always racing. You know, he's always one of the top guys up there that we've seen when names pop up for speed. So, I'm excited to get to throw the ball to him, No. 1. Shoutout to Ricky."

Pearsall's speed and shiftiness, in part, allowed him to produce a breakout season with the Sun Devils in 2021, when he tallied 48 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns. In offseason workouts, Florida at one point recorded a max velocity of 21.9 miles per hour when testing Pearsall's quickness. 

Aside from his physical abilities, though. Richardson is confident that Pearsall can help the Gators' offense because the two have worked to quickly develop synergy.

“Our first OTA, when we first threw together he was asking questions like, 'Should I run this route this way if a person does this?' Stuff like that," Richardson remembered. "I was like, 'Okay, I can work with this guy. We’ll be on the same page.' 

"Getting the chemistry together. I trust him. I’m ready to see how we perform together in the season.”

As Richardson acknowledged, Pearsall will wear the No. 1 this upcoming season at Florida, signaling that the Gators, too, have a lot of trust in their new playmaker. 

UF has traditionally awarded the number to players that have earned such a designation, something Pearsall has yet to do in orange and blue as a fresh transfer. But Richardson claimed that this news isn't worth the head-scratching that has taken place since it broke.

“I don’t really think coach Napier really cares about numbers," Richardson explained. "The number doesn’t make you. That’s what I believe. To get No. 1 at the University of Florida is a big deal. We can’t just put that to the side. There’s a lot riding on him. I have faith in him. He’s a dude.”

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