Gators WR Ricky Pearsall 'Primed for a Great Year' in 2023

Veteran wideout Ricky Pearsall will serve as the face of Florida's passing attack in 2023, setting an example for the position's younger talent.

When 2022 came to its close, the Gators' leading wideout Ricky Pearsall had a decision to make: To enter his name into the 2023 NFL Draft pool or return to college. 

Pearsall chose the latter, electing to suit up in orange and blue threads for one more campaign. 

The choice benefitted both parties as the widely inexperienced, albeit talented, Florida receiving corps was provided a staunch veteran for another year. Pearsall will serve as a Swiss army knife in several facets as the young Gators' weapons grow acclimated to the collegiate game in 2023.

As the unrivaled top wideout, Pearsall's extensive internal expectations as a performer and leader destine him to make a vast impact for the Florida offense.

"He's primed for a great year," head coach Billy Napier said about the senior wideout on Saturday. 

"He made some big plays in the scrimmage, made one big explosive play early in the season. Ricky's very underrated. Bigger than you think, faster and more explosive than you think and he's highly skilled. The guy can get open and he makes plays on the ball."

Showcasing his worth in his first campaign with the program in 2022, transferring in from Arizona State, the 6-foot-1, 192-pounder accounted for a team-high 661 yards and five touchdowns across 33 receptions. He added eight rushes for 113 yards and a score, proving to be the dynamic asset the Gators bargained for when pursuing him in the spring portal window.

In 2023, Pearsall will shoulder more responsibility. 

He's accepted the challenge, looking to illicit improvement individually and collectively.

"I think I'm going to make a huge impact," Pearsall said at SEC Media Days when asked about the expectation for himself. "Anywhere I can help my team out. I trust coach Napier to put me in the right spots. When those opportunities come, execute."

Pearsall is expected to operate more as a boundary wideout, and as a punt returner, in addition to his slot duties during his second season in Gainesville. An aspect of the game he worked on in the spring in an attempt to grow more versatile.

His move outside hardly scratches the surface of his added impact, though. Pearsall is the leader of the aforementioned young but uber-talented group of pass catchers for Florida this year.

"He's a guy who sets a really good example for some of the young guys in the room," Napier added. "Got a ton of confidence in Ricky, definitely build around him."

And the Gators' head coach isn't the only person expecting a productive season from the team's undenied top pass catchers. His teammates have also expressed their expectations of dominance for Pearsall as he gears up for year two in orange and blue.

A piece of those construction efforts around him at the position is sophomore Caleb Douglas. 

Expected to take on the team's starting X-receiver duties after a drastic uptick in participation to conclude his true freshman season, Douglas has served as one of the beneficiaries of Pearsall's presence in the pass catchers room.

"He brings a lot to the team more than his athletic ability, Douglas said when asked about his fellow wideout, "just like his attitude on the field, just like, I'll say when I am feeling kind of tired and I see Ricky, and then I'm like 'you know, you right,' I'm finna lock-in, finna go get it."

Junior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. — who holds a symbiotic relationship with Pearsall as their individual success directly aids the other to produce in their own right — also praised the Chandler (Ariz.) native at the start of fall camp. 

"I see explosiveness," the starting ball carrier said when asked about the slot receiver. "Ricky is a dominant player. He's able to win 50/50 contested catches, able to win one-on-one battles. I expect him to have a big year this year."

Even on the defensive side of the ball, Pearsall is making an impact in sharpening Florida's defensive backs.

Projected first-round defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. deemed Pearsall as one of the toughest wideouts to cover when speaking to local media at SEC Media Days.

"Going against Ricky every day, you know, he's one of our top guys, and I'm making him better and he's making me better. … His creative ability to run routes, get open, things like that," Marshall shared.

Now, heading into the 2023 season, both athletes feel confident that the iron-sharpens-iron relationship with each other in practice will result in a refined skillset and, in turn, heightened production.

The well-balanced admiration he's received is a testament to Pearsall's meticulous approach to the field and the locker room. He's expected to capitalize with a career-best campaign in a fashion that elevates his NFL Draft status.

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