Graham Mertz Florida Gators wide receiver, just Copeland his departure due to…

The Florida Gators, who in 2023 rated 70th in the nation in terms of yards allowed, made an attempt to strengthen their pass defense by hiring Will Harris as secondary coach in December.
Having the finest players is still the ideal choice, but the Gators need to quickly show improvements in their strategy and execution.

Zephyrhills, Florida’s DJ Pickett, the best cornerback in the nation, and other players have been targeted by Harris. According to Steve Wiltfong of On3, Pickett plans to visit Gainesville on official business soon.

Wiltfong heard Pickett’s father say, “I really like Coach (Will) Harris.” “I assured him that I would make sure we attempted to set up an official’s trip to Florida.”

Despite not being overwhelmingly regarded as the top cornerback by the major scouting services, Pickett is a defensive back with the best name in the industry. 247Sports, which rates the 6’4″, 180-pound Pickett third in his position, is the only source that disagrees.

Despite the fact that the Gators still need to catch up to teams like Miami, Georgia, and LSU, it seems that Harris has made an impression on Pickett’s family. Before joining the Gators, Harris was an assistant secondary coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. His work in Washington would open the eyes of any person.

In 2021, Washington led the nation in pass defense, allowing just 143.3 yards per game and giving up just six touchdowns, according to his bio. Harris also helped develop Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, who were selected for the first team of the Pac-12 All-Conference that year. Furthermore, McDuffie was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round and was picked by the Associated Press for their third-team All-America squad. In the meantime, Gordon was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Florida is starting a little slowly toward 2025. They have just four commitments and are ranked No. 49 in the nation by 247Sports. However, they are going big-game hunting with players like Pickett and the best dual-threat quarterback in the nation, Keelon Russell.

It is unusual that the Gators have lost seven games in a row; thus, head coach Billy Napier has a lot of pressure to turn things around. Should the Gators win in 2024, recruiting for 2025 will take care of itself.