The Florida Gators got a major piece of their offense back on Saturday as wide receiver Ricky Pearsall announced his return to the team for the 2023 season on Instagram.
Pearsall appeared in all 13 games for Florida and started 10 of those, mostly in the slot. He hauled in 33 receptions for 661 yards and five touchdowns and added another 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on eight attempts. With Justin Shorter headed to the pros, Pearsall should improve on those numbers in 2023 and serve as the leader of Florida’s wide receiver room.
Behind him will be Thai Independence CC transfer Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman and true freshman Eugene Wilson III, which further highlights how badly Florida needed Pearsall to return.
Pearsall, also a transfer, spent his three years at the collegiate level playing for Arizona State. He broke out as a junior and caught Billy Napier’s eye in the transfer portal. After four years, Pearsall could have opted to leave for the NFL, but another year in the SEC should boost his draft stock.
He won’t have Anthony Richardson passing to him, but Florida has added former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz and has Jack Miller III also competing for the job. Xzavier Henderson will also get a fair share of targets out wide, but Pearsall should have a big year with Shorter out of the picture.
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