Rookie Spotlight: Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Height: 6-1
Weight: 193
Hands: 9 1/8″
Arm: 30 3/4″
2024 Age: 24 – (9/9/00)
40-yard dash: 4.58 (projected)

NFL Play-Style Comparison: Ronnie Bell x Cedrick Wilson
Draft Grade: Early 5th Round
Breakout Age: 21 (Junior)

 

Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)

Receptions: 23%
Receiving Yards: 31%
Receiving TDs: 20%

High School: Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Arizona)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2019; 3-star
College Attended: Arizona State & Florida

 

Pros
– Heavily utilized in both slot and wide alignments

– Hands catcher, but can sometimes lack attention at the catch point for “easy” catches.

– fast feet that can often be utilized with pop screens, jet sweeps, and drag routes.

– 40 of 65 receptions were for 1st downs

– strong hands

– quick-twitch with great footwork

– smooth adjuster downfield on back-shoulder throws

 

Cons

– Lacks downfield separation and pull-away speed, despite the ability to create separation from defenders

– 24 years old when his rookie season begins

– willing to put his nose in the mix, but not an average run blocker

 

 

 

Scouting Notes:
After a prolific 14 reception, and 342-yard game against Gilbert High during his Junior campaign, setting the Arizona 6A record for receiving yards in a game. Ricky Pearsall’s name quickly vaulted up the recruiting ranks in the state of Arizona, Pearsall finished the season with 1,153 yards and 15 touchdowns, but his senior season was not nearly as impressive. Pearsall committed to the Sun Devils in his hometown of Tempe, where he spent three seasons, breaking out during his junior season with future Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels at the helm. Upon transferring in the spring of 2022, Pearsall was picking between Florida and Oregon, ultimately landing in Gainsville with first-year coach Billy Napier. During his two seasons at the University of Florida, Pearsall finished with 98 receptions, 1,626 yards, and 9 touchdowns in 25 games. In the final game of the 2023 season, he was 52 yards shy of eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards, something no Florida Gator receiver has accomplished since 2002 when Taylor Jacobs did it. Not Kadarius Toney, Van Jefferson, Riley Cooper, Percy Harvin, Chad Jackson, or Demarcus Robinson. He lined up out wide on 353 snaps, and in the slot on 425 in 2023, splitting each of those up amongst Left and Right – 393 to the left, and 385 to the right, his versatility is endless within alignments. In 2021, he heavily favored lining up wide, and in 2022 it switched to 70% slot.

Fantasy Outlook:
Pearsall has an opportunity to dominate in PPR formats due to his sheer route-running ability, 70% of his receptions finished in first downs during his 2023 campaign. From a play-style stance, my comparison is Cedrick Wilson and Ronnie Bell, but Pearsall has the upside to be a Rashee Rice type in Fantasy Football, Growing into a role that is a dependable and valuable No. 2 on an offense. Pearsall’s route running and special teams ability will put him on the field early, but in Fantasy Rookie Drafts this is your prototypical 4th round pick that everyone has combed over a dozen times. Snatch up the value, put him on the bottom of the bench and reap the reward in November of 2024.

Cody Carpentier