DJ Pickett to announce college decision in hometown; will Florida high school football star pick Miami?

Pickett is arguably Pasco County's most highly recruited high school football player of all time

Zephyrhills' 2025 5-star athlete DJ Pickett will make his commitment on July 17th / DJ Pickett/X

There's never been the kind of fanfare surrounding a high school football player's recruitment process quite like Zephyrhills' athlete DJ Pickett's.

From his days growing up in the Zephyrhills Police Academy League (PAL), many around the community automatically knew Pickett was destined for big things. Bearing the last name Pickett, the 18-year old carries around a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Now, Pickett will make the biggest decision of his football career Wednesday night in Zephyrhills High School's gymnasium in front of his hometown and he wouldn't have it any other way. Down to LSU, Miami (FL) and Oregon, there's obviously no wrong selection for the 2025 5-star player.

Pickett is ranked by many recruiting services as one of the top high school players in the entire country, with 247Sports ranking the two-way star as the No. 1 player in the Florida and N. 6 overall nationally.

That begs the question on where Pickett ranks as one of Pasco County's most highly recruited players of all-time. Since recruiting services started handing out designations on rankings and stars to players, the suburban county just north of Tampa, Florida has seen its fair share of talented players come through the ranks.

Pickett's uncle, Ryan Pickett, came before the era of star-ranked prospects, but certainly made his mark in Pasco County as a high school football star. The former defensive stalwart was named one of the country's top 25 players in the 1990's before starring at Ohio State and then becoming the No. 29 pick of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Some other names come to mind when thinking of Pasco County's standouts that were heavily recruited, from Pasco's tandem of Darren (South Carolina) and Troy Hambrick (South Carolina) to Land O' Lakes' quarterback Drew Weatherford (Florida State) to Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver Bryson Rodgers (Ohio State).

The list goes on and on when it comes down to considering who might be on the same level as Pickett. As time ticks away on which school Pickett will select, it's also a time to appreciate the exposure the senior has brought into Pasco County.

With one last decision and one season left to play, Pickett makes the first big mark of his senior year beginning with tonight's choice of schools.

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Down below is what 247Sports has to say about Pickett as a prospect.

Lanky two-way playmaker that allows the mind to get pretty creative when it comes identifying potential roles, but warrants a look as a field corner given one-of-a-kind frame and quick-twitched lower half. Measured right around 6-foot-4, 180 pounds the summer before senior season, making him one of the tallest defensive backs to come out of the high school ranks in recent cycles. More notably, came in with a near 6-foot-8 wingspan. Has dominated rural Florida-based competition the past few years, making an impact as both a wide receiver and a deep safety. Has what it takes to emerge as a true game-breaker on offense with his size and foot speed, but ability to generate turnovers with his advanced ball skills while also mirroring in reverse makes him an intriguing option in both man and off-coverage. Junior highlight reel features a few punishing hits in run support, but a thorough dive of the game tape suggests he must get better at embracing contact, especially if he’s going to be asked to police the alleys out of a one-high or two-high posting. Overall, should be viewed as one of the more unique prospects in the 2025 cycle as he checks off box after box with his tools, but isn’t exactly the cleanest projection at this stage. Likely to face an initial adjustment period when he gets to the next level, but has Power Four all-conference upside and is a black swan type of athlete that will draw the attention of NFL scouts.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl