Billy Napier alludes to WR Tyree Patterson being a 'good take' by UF
Tyree Patterson pledged to the Gators on Easter Sunday, becoming the second member of Florida’s 2023 class and the first to commit to first-year coach Billy Napier.
Patterson received an offer from UF on April 8 and attended the Orange & Blue Game last Thursday, pulling the trigger three days later.
While his decision provided some welcomed recruiting momentum for Florida fans, some on social media weren’t excited by Patterson’s pledge due to his rankings.
According to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Patterson has a three-star rating and ranks nationally as the No. 107 wide receiver and No. 702 overall prospect.
Following his commitment and the subsequent backlash on Twitter, Patterson felt the need to address his rankings in a since-deleted tweet.
“Rankings don’t matter. Someone will recognize you, just put the work in and don’t stop,” Patterson posted.
A product of Eustis (Fla.) High, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Patterson made 53 catches for 1,078 yards and 13 touchdowns during the 2021 season. Despite his production on the field, his only offers besides Florida are Liberty, UMass and North Texas.
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While Napier can’t publicly mention recruits by name, he alluded to the addition of Patterson — and the negative reactions to his commitment — while speaking in Tampa this week.
“We just had a young man commit,” Napier said, “and we’re gonna look back and say, ‘That’s a good take.’”
Scouting report on Tyree Patterson
Gators Online’s Corey Bender provided a film breakdown on Patterson following his commitment.
“While many are primarily focused on his ranking, and understandably so, I believe Patterson is poised to eventually receive a significant bump in that department,” Bender wrote. “Overall, I believe Patterson is underrated and should possess additional scholarship offers. I think he has the tools and skill set to eventually become a four-star prospect; however, seeing him in camp against improved competition will give us a better gauge of where he should be ranked.
“I’m sure he will be camping in Gainesville this summer, so I’m eager to see him compete. Overall, this is a kid with intriguing size and length who is known for coming up with the big play. He has decent speed and is accustomed to getting behind defenses for six points. There is no doubt Patterson could be a big riser during the second half of 2022.”
