Tuesday is a big day for Billy Napier and the Florida football staff. 247Sports’ Blake Alderman reported that DJ Pickett, the No. 1 safety in the 2025 class according to the 247Sports consensus, will be on campus on that day to get acclimated with the program.
The Zephyrhills High School standout has been a major target for the Orange and Blue going back to when Dan Mullen was in charge of the program. Mullen offered Pickett in 2021 when the elite defensive back was just a freshman in high school.
Luckily for Napier, Pickett fits his recruiting profile, as the Tampa native is one of the best prospects in the nation. Keeping elite talent in state is the backbone of Napier’s recruiting philosophy, making Pickett one of the few players who maintained their scholarship offer during the transition from Mullen to Napier.
Pickett has continued to remain in contact with Napier and his staff. He even visited Gainesville back in January as part of the Gators’ Junior Day recruiting event. This time around, Pickett will get the chance to sit in on spring practices and sit in on pre-practice meetings as well. He will also build upon his conversations with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, one of the best developers of defensive backs talent in college football.
The Gators are eager to make Pickett the cornerstone of their 2025 recruiting class, which currently has zero commits. They’ll have to fight off not just the other top programs in the state, but across the country. Proximity to home and being one of the first programs to offer him over two years ago are just a couple of positives when considering the Florida Gators.
Pickett has said he wants to narrow down his list sometime this summer. In addition to the Gators, he currently holds offers from and has been on campus at Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Texas.
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