Ricky Pearsall on the doorstep of Florida Gators history
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators receiver Ricky Pearsall is on an elite doorstep. The senior receiver is just 124 yards shy of becoming the eleventh Florida receiver to post 1,000 yards in a single season and would be the first to accomplish the feat since 2002.
Twenty years ago Taylor Jacobs hauled in 1,088 yards of receptions, the last Gator to accomplish the milestone. Pearsall was just two years old, hardly aware of football, let alone the Florida Gators or Taylor Jacobs. It is a mark, however, that Pearsall set out to achieve when he decided to come back for his senior season.
“I’m very excited to be able to go and do that,” Pearsall said of hitting the 1,000-yard mark. “It’s a goal I set in the very beginning of the season. So I’m still working towards it. Still got to go get it.”
On the season, Pearsall has 876 yards in 10 games. The 87.6 average leads the team and would put him on pace for 1,051 yards, which would be ninth all-time for the Gators.
Pearsall has three 100-yard games this season (McNeese State -123, South Carolina – 166, and LSU – 103). Last season against Missouri, Pearsall had just one catch for nine yards but he posted a five-catch, 148-yard and two-touchdown game against the Seminoles on the road.
“I don’t want to say underrated because he’s pretty highly regarded out there. I know the National Football League feels that way,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said of Pearsall. “Ricky, in my opinion, is the product of a lot of work. He’s highly skilled. He can win at the line of scrimmage. He can win at the top of the route. He has good awareness. He understands coverage and leverage. He’s run routes.”
“I’ve coached some good players. I’ll tell you what I really appreciate about Ricky Pearsall is the consistency and the person who shows up every day. His attitude, his energy, his leadership. He’s a tough dude, and he has values. He has — he’s equipped with some things that allow him to be really consistent as a performer. He’ll be a great pro. He’ll play for a long time.’
Pearsall and the Gators will look to avoid a third-straight losing SEC seasons and a bowl berth this weekend in Columbia, Missouri.
The list of Florida Gators receivers Pearsall would join
Complete list of Florida Gators 1,000-yard single-season receivers
| Player | Year | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Travis McGriff | 1998 | 1,357 |
| Carlos Alvarez | 1969 | 1,329 |
| Reidel Anthony | 1996 | 1,293 |
| Jabar Gaffney | 2001 | 1,191 |
| Jabar Gaffney | 2000 | 1,184 |
| Darrell Jackson | 1999 | 1,156 |
| Taylor Jacobs | 2002 | 1,088 |
| Reche Caldwell | 2001 | 1,059 |
| Chris Doering | 1995 | 1,045 |
| Jacquez Green | 1997 | 1,024 |
![Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) hauls in a pass while taking balls from a throwing machine during University of Florida Gators’ Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 28, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/08/01212103/Untitled-design-80.png)
