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The Florida Gators wide receiver room is highlighted by returning senior Ricky Pearsall. After an impressive campaign last season, he’ll look to continue to be a leader for the Gators offense in 2023. After transferring from Arizona State, Pearsall found a new home in Gainesville, and he spoke to the media on Day 3 of SEC Media Days.
Entering Year Two with Napier
Media Days are being held at the Nashville Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Head coach Billy Napier and his players answered questions from reporters Wednesday afternoon. After Napier spoke to the media, Pearsall took the podium. As he settled into the spotlight, a reporter asked Pearsall if there were any differences in Billy Napier’s demeanor heading into year two.
A New Buy In
There’s a different vibe within the football program this year compared to last. Something that is truly crucial when laying out the foundation of a program is having everyone bought in. It can be incredibly difficult to have the entire team motivated and ready for battle if the buy in from the players isn’t there. At the end of the day, the players on the field need to go out and execute the game plan. Therefore, Pearsall isn’t shying away from this narrative whatsoever.
He explained that there is more of a buy in this year for what Napier is trying to accomplish, something that wasn’t there as much last year. Pearsall transferred to Florida and the SEC to play the strongest competition in the most difficult conference. However, there’s much more that goes into a season than what you see on Saturday afternoon. He was asked what the state of the offense is in this offseason for the Gators.
Silencing the Doubters
It’s the time of year known as talking season in SEC country. As the regular season slowly approaches, storylines are created by the media both positive and negative. With an average season the Gators had last year, speculation is inevitable. At the University of Florida, the standards for the football program are as high as they get. After ending last season with a losing record, there were already people questioning if Billy Napier was the right guy for the job.
Many reporters and analysts think of the Gators as one of the weakest teams in the conference heading into this season. This is something that Pearsall and the Florida team will use to fuel them in 2023. Having the entire league looking down on them can put a much-needed chip on their shoulder. Pearsall was asked if there’s an internal message that is being sent from one player to another amidst the doubters in the media.
Expectations will be high in Gainesville this fall as they always are. However, fan expectations simply cannot outweigh the ones the team has for themselves. The Gators will open the season Aug. 31 on the road, travelling to Salt Lake City to play Utah. The game will be a rematch of last year’s Week 1 matchup where the Gators came out victorious.
