SAD NEWS: Graham Mertz, the quarterback for the Florida Gators, recently signed papers requesting a transfer because…

In December, the Florida Gators hired Will Harris as secondary coach in an effort to bolster their pass defence. The Gators finished 70th in the country in 2023 in terms of yards allowed.
While having the best players is still the best option, the Gators must expeditiously demonstrate gains in both strategy and execution.

Harris has targeted Zephyrhills, DJ Pickett of Florida, the greatest cornerback in the country, and other players. Steve Wiltfong of On3 reports that Pickett will shortly be in Gainesville for an official visit.

Wiltfong heard the words, “I really like Coach (Will) Harris,” from Pickett’s father. “I told him that I would see to it that we tried to arrange for an official to visit Florida.”

Pickett is the best-named defensive back in the business, even though the major scouting services don’t think he’s the best cornerback by a wide margin. The one site that disagrees is 247Sports, which ranks the 6’4″, 180-pound Pickett third in his position.

Though the Gators still have a ways to go before they can compete with programmes like Miami, Georgia, and LSU, it appears that Harris has left an impression on Pickett’s family. Harris worked as an assistant secondary coach for the Los Angeles Chargers before to joining the Gators. Everyone’s eyes would be opened by his activities in Washington.

According to his résumé, Washington topped the country in 2021 in pass defence, surrendering just 143.3 yards per game and six touchdowns. Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, who were chosen for the first team of the Pac-12 All-Conference that year, were also developed with Harris’ assistance. In addition, McDuffie was selected by the Associated Press for their third-team All-America roster and taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears selected Gordon in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Florida’s transition to 2025 is happening a little slowly. They are ranked No. 49 in the country by 247Sports and have just four commitments. But with players like Pickett and the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback, Keelon Russell, they are going big-game hunting.

The Gators’ seven-game losing streak is rare, so head coach Billy Napier is under intense pressure to turn things around. In the event that the Gators win in 2024, recruiting for 2025 will be handled by themselves.