Florida Football: Ricky Pearsall falls short of 1,000 yards
![Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) makes a one-handed catch for a first down during the first half against the Charlotte 49ers at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 23, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ff4b90fcf32dd1032674a393704db6edb0dc622f92a32009811f1b1928622a179.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) makes a one-handed catch for a first down during the first half against the Charlotte 49ers at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 23, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
The season didn’t end the way Florida football would have like, losing to Florida State and ending the season 5-7 to miss a bowl game for the first time since 2017.
To add to the disappointment inside The Swamp, Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall needed just 52 yards receiving on the night to reach 1,000 yards for the season.
He, like the rest of the Gators, fell short of the mark.
Florida Football: Close but no cigar
With backup QB Max Brown under center, Billy Napier opted for a more conservative approach and ran the ball 44 times while only throwing it 16.
Unfortunately for Pearsall, this limited his opportunities to be involved in the game. He made just one catch for 17 yards to end the season 35 yards short of 1,000 yards. He was trying to become the first Gator to obtain 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Taylor Jacobs did it 20 years ago.
He ended the season with 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns.
Pearsall came to Florida football last season after transferring from Arizona State. He had a decent season last year but broke out as the primary receiver for Graham Mertz in 2023.
His two watershed moments this year were his game-winning grab against South Carolina, and his Superman grab against McNeese State.
Pearsall plans to participate in the Senior Bowl to help prepare for the NFL Draft.
Next. Napier needs more than just talent in 2024. dark