Five-Star Safety DJ Pickett names Top 5

Five-Star safety DJ Pickett of Zephyrhills (FL) High narrowed his list to 5 schools Friday evening.

The 6-foot-4, 180 pounder is down to the following: LSU, Georgia, Michigan, Miami, and Oregon.

Breaking down the finalists 

Pickett discussed what stood out about each school with On3.

LSU Tigers: LSU is DBU and just the relationship I have with coach Raymond stood out. I wanna be a part of that class they are building.

Georgia Bulldogs: Georgia has one of the best defenses in college football. So why not be a part of that?

Michigan Wolverines: Michigan just feels like home.

Miami Hurricanes: Miami runs in my family and I want to play with my cousin one day again. 

Oregon Ducks: Oregon has all the resources for me to be successful and the connection I have with the coaches is strong.

DJ Pickett Recruiting Profile

Pickett ranks as the No. 7 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 1 safety and the No. 1 player in the state of Florida.

Scouting Summary

On3’s Scouting and Rankings team writes this about him as a prospect:

“Dynamic, explosive two-way playmaker who looks like one of the top defensive back prospects in the 2025 cycle. A big-time two-way player as a receiver and defensive back. Has a thin, lean frame at over 6-foot-2 and around 170 pounds. An extremely twitchy athlete who also excels in track and field. Turned in sensational marks in the 100 meters (10.62 seconds) and 200 meters (21.69 seconds) as a sophomore. A natural playmaker on Friday nights. Pairs his plus athleticism and easy movement skills with high level instincts and ball skills. Has elite range as a deep safety. Reads and jumps routes to make plays on the ball. Doubles as a game-breaking receiver with the ability to take the top off of defenses and come down with acrobatic contested catches. Finished his sophomore season with 43 catches for 886 yards and 12 touchdowns in addition to picking off four passes. Ranked as a safety early on, but could be a legitimate high-end cornerback prospect or even play some offense in college. A bit for the cycle, with a May birthday. Will need to continue adding good mass to his leaner frame.”

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $178K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.