Ricky Pearsall comfortable with QB room, a ‘big question mark’ he had

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall weighed whether to return to school or turn pro this offseason, one of the deciding factors was figuring out who his quarterback could be in 2023.

In his last game with Anthony Richardson at Florida State, Pearsall set a new career high with 148 yards on five receptions and had a two-touchdown performance for just the third time in his career.

Richardson declared for the NFL Draft following the regular season finale and skipped the bowl game. After the Las Vegas Bowl, Pearsall revealed he was still thinking about his future plans.

“That was a big question mark for me obviously when I was making my decision,” Pearsall told Gators Online on Saturday. “It’s like, ‘Who’s going to be throwing me the ball?'”

Pearsall only had a few weeks of practice in the fall with Jack Miller III due to his thumb injury in training camp, and he didn’t take many reps last season with true freshman Max Brown, who redshirted.

Nonetheless, Pearsall had history with Miller (more on that below) and was comfortable with Florida’s quarterback room, especially when Graham Mertz signed with UF just four days after the bowl.

“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. “They just made me comfortable 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.”

Pearsall’s trust in Napier and their tight-knit relationship was another driving force behind his return to Florida. Two days before the deadline for players to declare for the NFL Draft, he announced he would be staying with the Gators.

Napier and Pearsall attended a UF basketball game together a couple weeks later.

“Just really trusting in Nape,” he said when asked what ultimately brought him back. “I was going back and forth with it, but after talking with my family and praying about it, I just came to a decision and I think it was best for me to come back.

“I think this team is talented, you know, we got a lot of parts that are coming back. I think we got big plans ahead, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Pearsall was among Florida’s top six offensive players in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, and four of them return along with left tackle Austin Barber and running backs Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. The departures were Richardson and guard O’Cyrus Torrence, both projected first-round picks.

The Gators also return seven of their top nine defenders from 2022 who played at least 100 snaps according to PFF, except for linebacker Ventrell Miller and safety Rashad Torrence II.

Pearsall on the QB battle

There’s an open competition at quarterback this spring and it’s been a two-man race between Mertz and Miller. Pearsall has repped with both throughout camp and thinks they’ve played well.

“They’re both two really smart, talented guys, and they’re battling right now,” Pearsall said of Mertz and Miller. “That’s what these practices are about. Coach Napier does a 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.”

When Pearsall transferred from Arizona State last summer and started practicing with Miller before his thumb injury, that wasn’t his first time catching passes from him. The two are both Arizona natives — Scottsdale for Miller and Pearsall’s from Chandler — and they connected in high school during Pearsall’s junior year. Miller was a class behind him.

“I don’t remember exactly when I first met him, but it was over a throwing session,” Pearsall recalled. “We had a mutual coach that we knew, and he invited me out and then Jack was out there, so that’s when I first got to know him. And then he was throwing me the ball and I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ Because he was launching them, and then I did my research and we became friends.”

They were reunited in Gainesville, but Miller spent the regular season sidelined before making his UF debut and first career start in the Las Vegas Bowl. He threw for 180 yards on 13 of 22 pass attempts with no touchdowns or interceptions in the 30-3 loss to Oregon State.

Pearsall caught four of Miller’s completions for 65 yards. It marked his fourth contest of the season with four or more receptions as well as his fourth-highest receiving yardage in a game.

“Playing an actual game for the first time was a big step for him and his experience,” Pearsall said of Miller. “I could tell when the game was going through that he was starting to calm down a little bit and keep his poise. I think he grew a lot from that.

“Then I can obviously tell even his demeanor at practice, he’s really poised out there. He’s taken on that leadership role as a quarterback. He’s looking real good right now. He’s got a good touch on the ball.”

While Pearsall and Miller already have an established connection, he’s had to form one with Mertz this offseason. Mertz said they put in extra work watching tape in the film room and discussing different concepts and coverages.

Pearsall has been impressed with Mertz so far and also likes when he’s seen from Brown. And with the addition of two freshmen receivers to go along with the returning wideouts, he’s confident in Florida’s passing attack for this year.

“Graham, he’s a talented guy. He’s a really smart guy, you know, he knows how to read defenses,” Pearsall said of Mertz. “[Max]’s got a talented arm. He’s really gifted, he’s got a good touch on the ball, he’s got that zip to it. So, he’s gonna be really good, too.

“We have a really strong group in the receiver room. I think we got some new pieces we added to that are going to make our receiver room even stronger. … Gator fans should be excited about [Andy Jean]. He came in right away, and the first thing I noticed is he’s really polished. He’s got a big future.”