Ricky Pearsall
Senior receiver Ricky Pearsall showed us why he’s been talked about all offseason, snagging eight receptions for 96 yards against Utah. Pearsall’s offense grade of 68.3 ranked 3rd highest amongst the Gators’ offense, according to PFF.
Four of Pearsall’s eight receptions went for first downs, while the 6-1, 190-pound receiver gathered 47 yards after the catch, the 4th most in the SEC during week one. Pearsall led the SEC in receptions and finished 5th in yards during the season opener.
Graham Mertz
One person who doesn’t deserve much blame for Thursday’s loss is Graham Mertz. The Kansas native did everything he needed to do and more while completing 70.5% of his passes and throwing for 333 yards and a touchdown behind poor offensive line play. The front five didn’t do the junior any favors and made it difficult for Mertz to move around the pocket and let things develop. One thing I said Mertz had to do in Thursday night’s game was to be boring and slow the game down, and he managed that a lot better than I expected. The offense has pieces around Mertz to thrive, but it starts with discipline and the guys up front getting the run game going. Mertz would improve behind better offensive line play with production from the running backs.
The former Wisconsin quarterback brings the experience and leadership this young team desperately needs. Florida fell apart last season after an impressive win against Utah in 2022. The Gators have a great opportunity this season to do the opposite and shock most of Gator Nation with SEC play right around the corner.
“When you’ve been through a lot of different college seasons and seen different things happen throughout a season it really just brings you back to the big picture of it. It is a long season, we have a lot of games ahead of us. This is a great game to look back at and be like ‘We never want that to happen again’. You want to have that bad taste in your mouth, after watching a game like that,” Mertz said on his confidence that this team will bounce back. “I mean I’m going to hit on it every day. We know what it feels like because we all went through it together. We have a lot of young guys; we have a lot of talent, and this will be a step in their process to being a complete team player and player and really help the University of Florida.”
Eugene Wilson
Forget about the fair catches on punt returns inside the 5-yard line. Those things should never happen, but they’ll get corrected. The true freshman gives this Florida offense a big spark that this program hasn’t seen since Kadarius Toney. Wilson has great vision while not flipping sides of the field and making too many cuts, which is what you need from a true wide receiver. The Tampa native was the highest-graded rusher and receiver for Florida. according to PFF. Wilson recorded two receptions for 24 yards while also having a sweep go for nine yards against the Utes and a two-point conversion. Next weekend’s game against McNeese State will give Florida fans a better look at what the freshman is all about.
Caleb Douglas and Marcus Burke
Caleb Doulas and Marcus Burke are two targets that really give Mertz some trustworthy options other than Ricky Pearsall when dropping back in the pocket. Douglas had some issues coming down with catches last year but went up and made an unbelievable catch to give the Gators their only touchdown of the night. The sophomore recorded 42 yards on four receptions and a touchdown, proving that he may have taken the next step in his career. Douglas graded out as the 4th highest player on Florida’s offense while posting a run block grade of 79.4, the highest on the team, according to PFF.
Marcus Burke is another receiver who I think continues to get better and better each time he steps on a football field. His ability to create space in his routes is impressive and I expect a lot out of the redshirt sophomore this season. The Jacksonville native recorded two receptions for 61 yards against Utah on Thursday and is set to potentially have a big year. Burke graded out as the second-best player on Florida’s offense with a grade of 74.9, according to PFF.