Florida Gators Poised for Official Visit from Nation's No. 1 CB

New Florida Gators secondary coach Will Harris is paying dividends on the recruiting trail.

New Florida Gators secondary coach Will Harris / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY

The Florida Gators hired secondary coach Will Harris in December to revamp a pass defense that finished 70th nationally in yards allowed in 2023.

Schematic and technique changes can be expected to be seen from the Gators right away, but there's no substitute for having the best players.

Harris has targeted the nation's No. 1 cornerback DJ Pickett (among others) out of Zephyrhills, Fla. Pickett is planning an official visit to Gainesville in the near future according to On3's Steve Wiltfong.

“I like Coach (Will) Harris a lot," Pickett's father told Wiltfong. "I told him I’ll make it my business we try to find a way to get to Florida for an official.”

Blessed with the ultimate name for a defensive back, Pickett isn't quite the consensus No. 1 cornerback across the main scouting services, but he's close. Only 247Sports is the holdout, listing the 6'4 and 180 pound Pickett at No. 3 at his position.

The Gators have some ground to make up on the likes of Miami, LSU, and Georgia, but Harris seems to have made an impression on Pickett's family. Before joining the Gators, Harris had stints with the LA Chargers as assistant secondary coach, and his work at Washington would open anyone's eyes.

According to his bio, in 2021, Washington led the nation in pass defense, allowing 143.3 yards per game and giving up only six touchdowns. That year, Harris helped develop two first-team Pac-12 All-Conference selections in Kyler Gordon and Trent McDuffie. McDuffie also earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and was a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Gordon was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Florida is off to a bit of a slow start for 2025. They have just-four commitments and are ranked No. 49 in the nation by 247Sports. However, they are big-game hunting with players like Pickett and the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell.

A lot is riding on head coach Billy Napier turning around the Gators after an uncharacteristic three-straight seven-loss seasons. Win in 2024, and Gators recruiting for 2025 will take care of itself.