Ricky Pearsall has more to prove entering his final season

Many questioned whether Ricky Pearsall would be back for his senior season or not after Anthony Richardson declared for the NFL draft in December of last year. The production Pearsall brings to this offense was something that this team desperately needed to have one more season.

Pearsall finished his career at Arizona State with just 61 receptions, 794 yards and five receiving touchdowns in three years.

Since transferring to Florida, Pearsall has flourished and managed to rack up 33 receptions, 661 yards and five receiving touchdowns in just one season with the Gators. The senior receiver has complete trust in Coach Napier and only has more to prove.

“I was going back and forth with it, but after talking with my family, you know, and praying about it, I just came to a decision and I think it was best for me to come back,” Pearsall said on returning to Florida. “It was a bunch of aspects going into it, some personal, but just really trusting in Nape and the rest of the coaching staff. I think this team is talented, we got a lot of parts that are coming back, and I think we got big plans ahead, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

One of the biggest concerns for Pearsall was the quarterback situation. Once Anthony Richardson had declared, Pearsall had a lot to think about.

“That was a big question mark for me obviously when I was making my decision. It’s like ‘who’s going to be throwing me the ball’, and I already had a relationship with Max and Jack, and then the coaches were telling me about Mertz coming in, so I was just reaching out to him, getting a feel for him,” Pearsall said on the quarterback situation. “They just made me comfortable for coming back, and I felt comfortable coming back. I know my own abilities and they know their own abilities, and just developing that relationship and trust with one another is probably the most important part.”

Over time, it’s been clear that Pearsall is more than happy with the decision he made back in January. Wide receivers Coach Billy Gonzales has completely won over the team’s No. 1 receiver since returning to Florida just weeks ago.

“He’s got a big resume. He put a lot of guys in the league, especially coming out of here, Florida, and I’m just trying to take as much knowledge away from him as I can,” Pearsall said on Gonzales. “I think, you know, a bunch of receiver coaches have their own ideologies and knowledge that they can give to me and I can take away from them. That’s the biggest thing for me, is how much knowledge I can take away from Coach G. He’s a knowledgeable guy, he knows a lot about techniques as a receiver, so just taking the most away from him.”

Pearsall loves the criticism he receives from Coach Gonzales and has quickly formed a strong bond with the coach.

“You know, he’s on me, and he’s a big critic on me and I love it,” Pearsall said on Gonzales. “That’s something I needed, and I tell Coach G all the time, ‘let’s get together and watch some film’ and he reaches out to me and checks on me before practice, telling me ‘Let’s have a good day today’. He’s a player’s coach and I really enjoy it.”

The receiver room is something Pearsall has high hopes for going into the 2023 season. The young talent in the room is promising, and the chemistry with Graham Mertz continues to grow every day.

“I think we have a really strong group in the receiver room,” Pearsall said. “I think we got some new pieces that got added that are going to make our receiver room even stronger, and Graham, he’s a talented guy. He’s a really smart guy and he knows how to read defenses.”

One player in the room that Pearsall is high on is wide receiver Andy Jean. The true freshman continues to turn heads at spring practice since stepping foot on campus.

“Yeah, he’s a good ball-player,” Pearsall said on Jean. “Gator fans should be excited about him. He came in right away, and the first thing I noticed is that he’s really polished. I can tell he’s been coached by a lot of good coaches, and he’s already so polished at a young age, so he’s got a big future.”

However, the quarterback battle between Graham Mertz and Jack Miller has really started to heat up as we get further into spring camp. Pearsall is very high on both quarterbacks and likes what he’s seen.

“Yeah, I mean they’re both two really smart, talented guys, and they’re battling right now,” Pearsall said on Mertz and Miller. “That’s what these practices are about. Coach Napier does a good job of putting them in situations where they have to battle for it, and they’re both doing a really good job. We still got a lot of practices and time left before we make that decision, but so far, I like what I’m seeing.”

Not only does Pearsall like what he’s seen from Mertz and Miller, but also Max Brown. The redshirt freshman has shown everyone that he deserves to be a part of the quarterback battle this upcoming season.

“He’s talented, he’s got a talented arm,” Pearsall said on Brown. “He’s really gifted, you know, he’s got a good touch on the ball, he’s got that zip to it. So, he’s going to be really good, too.”

After Ricky Pearsall fell just 100 yards short of matching his 794 career receiving yards at Arizona State in just one season at Florida, it’s not too surprising that Pearsall decided to stay in Gainesville after the addition of Graham Mertz.
Not only did Pearsall put up impressive receiving numbers last season, but he rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown while only rushing for 78 yards in three seasons at Arizona State.

Pearsall will look to build upon his impressive career during his fifth season of college football.

Gentry Hawk
Gentry Hawk is a student at the University of Florida studying sports journalism. He is a writer and reporter for GatorCountry. You can find most of his work on Twitter @gentryhawkgc, or right here on Gator country.