It has been a rough campaign for Florida football but in the darkness there have been a few bright spots. Among those spotlights of optimism are wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag], who has been a godsend for the receivers corps since transferring from Arizona State two seasons ago.
So far in 2023, the 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound senior has hauled in 876 yards on 62 catches and four touchdowns, with three 100-plus yard performances against the McNeese State Cowboys (123), South Carolina Gamecocks (166) and LSU Tigers (103). He just barely missed the 100-yard mark against the Utah Utes (92), Charlotte 49ers (99) and Georgia Bulldogs (99).
With just 124 more yards remaining until the millennium mark, the prolific pas-catcher has a chance to do something that has not been done in Gainesville since 2002. That is the year that Taylor Jacobs finished with 1,088 receiving yards.
The 1,000-yard club at Florida is an exclusive one, which also includes Jabbar Gaffney, Chris Doering, Jacquez Green, Travis McGriff, Reidel Anthony and Ike Hillard, among others. Being mentioned in the same breath as those Gator greats is an honor in and of itself.
Last fall, Pearsall played in all 13 games, grabbing 33 passes for 661 yards and five touchdowns, giving him 1,537 career receiving yards as a Gator. He came into the season chasing down his father’s collegiate total of 1,802 yards at Northern Arizona, which he has eclipsed with his 2,331 so far.
Next up for Florida are the Missouri Tigers, who host the Gators in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, Nov. 18, inside Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN.
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