Ricky Pearsall has the look of a second round wide receiver

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:

Barring some sort of shocking development over the next couple of days, Ricky Pearsall won’t hear his name called Thursday night when the NFL selects its first round picks of the 2024 Draft. A year or two from now, a bunch of teams that could have taken Pearsall early might regret letting the former Florida wide receiver slip into the second round.

Thought to be a fourth round or after prospect prior to the 2023 season, Pearsall has climbed up everyone’s charts based on 2023 productivity and a brilliant combine in which he turned in a 4.41 time in the 40, a 10.9 standing broad jump and a 42-inch vertical. Nearly every mock draft his him going second round now, which, if it holds true, will mean he goes Friday night.

Pearsall doesn’t have the top end speed of prospects such as Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU) or Xavier Worthy (Texas) nor does he have the size and brute physical strength of Xavier Legette (South Carolina), but there may not be a receiver with a better combination of speed, hands, precision route running and the ability to decleat DBs as a blocker.

Florida wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, maybe the best there is in the country at teaching route running and blocking, lights up when he talks about Ricky Pearsall.

“Obviously, Ricky’s a special football player,” Gonzales said a few weeks ago. “He was not a good football player, he was a great football player. He’s going to have a great career. I love him to death. He’s phenomenal.”

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, one of the more highly regarded draft analysts, ranks Pearsall as the No. 40 prosect in the entire draft.

Writes Jeremiah: “Pearsall is a loose, smooth wideout with outstanding hands and toughness. He is quick in his release and he understands how to change gears as a route runner. He is fluid getting into and out of breaks. He has outstanding hands. He attacks the ball at the highest point and makes some circus catches (see one-handed gem vs. Charlotte). After the catch, he is quick to transition up the field and has the elusiveness to make defenders miss in space. He has a lean frame, but he plays with excellent toughness and competitiveness. Pearsall followed up an excellent 2023 season with a solid week at the Senior Bowl and should have a starting role from Day 1 for his drafting team.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Pearsall solidly in the second round, going with the 45th pick overall to the New Orleans Saints. In one of its latest rankings of the top 100 prospects for the draft, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold rates Pearsall as the No. 46 overall prospect.  

Kiper recently told Field Yates on the First Draft podcast, “He’s a 6-foot-1, 190-pound eceiver who ran a 4.41,” Kiper elaborated. “He has good strength, he’s got tremendous athletic ability. A vertical of 42 inches – that’s unbelievable vertical. When you look at the production at Florida, what he did at Arizona State? I talked to Herm Edwards and the first thing he says to me is, ‘That’s my guy, Pearsall!’. He was saying that before the year even began. Herm loves the kid.”

“He tests off the charts, he’s tough, he’s aggressive with the ball in his hands, he loves football. There’s no way, after the numbers he’s shown, he gets out of the second round. It wouldn’t shock me if he went very early in the second.”

SEC FOOTBALL: The portal is heating up

Alabama: Alabama hasn’t lost anyone of significance but has made two substantial pickups from the portal. Last year’s starter at LT, Kadyn Proctor, transferred to Iowa, but has come back to Tuscaloosa where he will start once again. Placekicker Graham Nicholson won the Groza Award at Miami (OH) last year where he hit 27-28 field goals.

Outgoing: PK Reed Harradine (6-3, 185, FR); WR Andre Craig (6-0, 180, SO)

Incoming: OT Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 360, FR) from Iowa; PK Graham Nicholson (6-0, 185, JR) from Miami (OH)

Arkansas: Punter Max Fletcher (46.95 per kick last year) is a huge loss as is corner Snaxx Johnson. Running back Rodney Hill isn’t going to make up for the loss of Raheim Sanders (South Carolina) or AJ Green (Oklahoma State). LB Larry Worth III (Jacksonville State) and EDGE Keyron Crawford (Arkansas State) don’t move the needle very far.

Outgoing: TE Francis Sherman (6-3, 237, SR); RB Isaiah Augustave (6-2, 208, RFR); OT Andrew Chamblee (6-6, 304, FR); QB Jacolby Criswell (6-1, 230, JR); EDGE Jashaud Stewart (6-2, 257, SR); P Max Fletcher (6-5, 174, SO) to Cincinnati; CB Snaxx Johnson (6-0, 193, JR)

Incoming: RB Rodney Hill (5-10, 186, SO) from Florida A&M; LB Larry Worth III (6-4, 220, SO) from Jacksonville State; EDGE Keyron Crawford (6-4, 243, SO) from Arkansas State

Auburn: No losses of any significance, but three defensive imports that will help immediately in D-linemen Philip Blidi (Indiana) and Isaiah Raikes (Southern Cal by way of Texas A&M) and linebacker Jaylin Alderman (Louisville). Raikes played for the Aggies last year, then spent the spring with Southern Cal.

Outgoing: DL Brenton Williams (6-3, 262, FR); CB J.D. Rhym (6-1, 178, SO); LS Kyle Vaccarella (6-3, 229, SO); WR Ja’Varrius Johnson (5-10, 167, SR); WR Jay Fair (5-10, 186, SO); LB Wesley Steiner (6-0, 245, SR)

Incoming: DL Philip Blidi (6-3, 295, SR) from Indiana; DL Isaiah Raikes (6-2, 320, JR) from Southern California; LB Jaylin Alderman (6-1, 230, JR) from Louisville

FLORIDA: The Gators are a couple over the scholarship limit and Mannie Nunnery is the only exit so far. Billy Napier needs a D-lineman, an experienced interior O-lineman and another experienced pass catcher.

Outgoing: LB Mannie Nunnery (6-2, 227, RSR)

Georgia: Georgia hasn’t lost anyone important but could land former Florida QB commit Jaden Rashada by way of Arizona State.

Outgoing: RB Andrew Paul (5-11, 218, FR); OT Chad Lindberg (6-6, 325, JR) to Rice; WR Tyler Williams (6-3, 205, RFR)

Kentucky: The Wildcats were counting on Raymond Cottrell, who transferred in from Aggieland, but now he’s on his way out. None of the other exits will be missed immediately.

Outgoing: RB LaVell Wright (5-11, 202, JR); WR Darius Cannon (5-9, 175, FR); WR Raymond Cottrell (6-3, 210, RFR); QB Shane Hamm (5-11, 209, SO); WR Shamar Porter (6-3, 205, FR); PK Jackson Smith (5-11, 204, FR); WR Ardell Banks (6-3, 187, FR)

LSU: Eight departures so far and only one entry. Gio Paez did a good job of clogging up the middle from his nose guard slot at Wisconsin. None of the departures will be missed in 2024.

Outgoing: EDGE Jaxon Howard (6-4, 240, FR) to Minnesota; WR Khai Prean (6-0, 202, FR) to Tulane; CB Ryan Robinson Jr. (5-11, 180, FR); TE Connor Gilbreath (6-5, 272, SO); DL Bryce Langston (6-3, 300, SO) to Florida Atlantic; CB Jeremiah Hughes (6-0, 187, FR); LB Christian Brathwaite (6-1, 217, FR); S Ryan Yaites (6-1, 203, FR)

Incoming: DL Gio Paez (6-3, 310, SR) from Wisconsin

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs got a big pickup in running back Rashad Amos, who gained 1,075 yards and scored 13 TDs at Miami (OH). Two significant losses in wide receiver Justin Robinson and punter Keelan Cummings. Robinson was the leading returning receiver and Cummings averaged nearly 41 yards a punt.

Outgoing: S Trent Singleton (6-0, 195, FR); CB Luke Evans (6-2, 180, FR); P Keelan Cummings (6-3, 215, FR) to Purdue; WR Justin Robinson (6-4, 220, JR)

Incoming: RB Rashad Amos (6-2, 224, SR) from Miami (OH)

Missouri: The Tigers aren’t looking for much in the portal. They got a backup QB in Drew Pyne from Arizona State, formerly of Notre Dame.

Outgoing: WR Dannis Jackson (5-11, 171, JR); DL Serigne Tounkara (6-2, 235, FR)

Incoming: QB Drew Pyne (6-0, 190, SO) from Arizona State

Oklahoma: Monday the Sooners picked up a starting center in Branson Hickman (from SMU) and a starter at nose tackle in Jermaine Lole (from Louisville).

Outgoing: QB Jacob Switzer (6-2, 192, SO); Shane Whitter (6-0, 226, JR); CB Justin Harrington (6-3, 215, SR)

Incoming: C Branson Hickman (6-4, 297, JR) from SMU; DL Jermaine Lole (6-3, 310, SR) from Louisville

Ole Miss: Beware the Rebels in the running game next year. In January Lane Kiffin landed Logan Diggs from LSU. Now he’s added Jacorey Harris, who ran for 1,190 yards and 17 TDs last year at New Mexico, and Henry Parrish Jr., back at Ole Miss after a 2-year hiatus at Miami. He’s run for more than 2,000 yards in his career. None of the losses in the portal will be misses.

Outgoing: DL Joshua Harris (6-4, 325, SR) to North Carolina; QB Deljay Bailey (6-1, 200, FR)

Incoming: RB Jacory Merritt (5-11, 204 SR) from New Mexico; RB Henry Parrish (5-10, 190, JR) from Miami

South Carolina: The Gamecocks did almost all their shopping in January. None of the losses will be missed.

Outgoing: OL Jaxon Hughes (6-6, 297, SR); EDGE Terrell Dawkins (6-4, 251, SR); WR Kelton Henderson (6-0, 165, FR)

Tennessee: The loss of MLB Elijah Herring, last year’s leading tackler (80) is huge. Eight starters from last year’s defense have now transferred out.

Outgoing: LB Elijah Herring (6-3, 238, SO)

Texas: Losing OT Payton Kirkland to Colorado is a big loss. The defense got the big, mobile force at NT in Bill Norton from Arizona.

Outgoing: LB S’maje Burrell (6-0, 219, FR); EDGE Billy Walton III (6-3, 225, FR); OL Payton Kirkland (6-6, 350, FR) to Colorado; EDGE J’mond Tapp (6-3, 266, FR); DL Zach Swanson (6-4, 270, FR)

Incoming: DL Bill Norton (6-6, 325, SR) from Arizona

Texas A&M: Losing Jacoby Matthews and Fadil Diggs (to Syracuse) are tough losses, but the Aggies picked up an outstanding EDGE in Josh Celiscar (from UCF), a starting OLB in Solomon DeShields (from Pittsburgh) and a starting center in Koli Faaiu (from Utah).

Outgoing: S Sam McCall (6-1, 185, FR); LB Alex Howard (6-2, 230, SR); S Jacoby Matthews (6-2, 215, SO); EDGE Fadil Diggs (6-5, 260, JR) to Syracuse; OL Derrick Graham (6-4, 314, SO); PK Ethan Moczulski (5-11, 200, FR)

Incoming: EDGE Josh Celiscar (6-4, 265, SR) from UCF; C Koli Faaiu (6-3, 326, SO) from Utah; LB Solomon DeShields (6-3, 225, JR) from Pittsburgh

Vanderbilt: The Commodores lost a starting OL to Wisconsin (Leyton Nelson) but picked up two probable starters in Cade McConnell (from Minnesota) and Steven Hubbard (from UTEP).

Outgoing: LB Dante Kelly (6-3, 201, FR); S John Howse IV (6-1, 195, JR); TE Josh Palmer (6-4, 192, FR); OT Leyton Nelson (6-6, 308, SO) to Wisconsin; CB Jameson Wharton (6-1, 170, SO)

Incoming: OL Cade McConnell (6-5, 310, FR) from Minnesota; OL Steven Hubbard (6-3, 314, SR) from UTEP

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Stetson a must win? Who would have ever thought that when the 2024 Florida baseball season began? Why would have thought that even three weeks ago when the Gators (20-19) were still ranked fourth nationally?

This is a rather strange season, not at all what was expected when it began, but in retrospect, perhaps we should have seen something like this coming when Caden Fisher struggled out of the gate as the Friday starter and the only thing consistent about every pitcher not named Jac Caglianone on a freshman-dominated staff was inconsistency.

Fisher has moved to the bullpen but he’s struggled to get people out. Brandon Neely was moved from closer to Friday night starter. What he’s shown is why he’s a closer. He’s good for about three or four innings, but after that he doesn’t fool anyone. Freshman Liam Peterson and Luke McNellie can throw high 90s but the ball doesn’t always move. When it doesn’t move it tends to fly high and deep toward the fences. Pierce Coppola has some good stuff, but he shows the rust of two years without pitching. Fisher Jameson may have found himself lately but he’s got to put several games together. Ryan Slater had a couple of short outings that went well at Vandy, but he needs to come around in a hurry.

Caglianone? He can give the Gators five of six innings but then which bullpen is going to show up?

Starting with tonight’s game with Stetson at Condron Family Ballpark, the Gators are in a desperation mode. The magic numbers are 14, as in 14 SEC wins, and 30. It may take a win or two at the SEC Tournament in Hoover to get to 30 wins. But, 14 SEC wins or 30 wins for the season should get the Gators into the NCAA Tournament.

We know what they have to do. The question is can they do it? This is Kevin O’Sullivan’s 17th season as Florida’s head coach. He’s never failed to make the NCAA Tournament in the previous 16 seasons.