Does Former ASU WR Have Bright NFL Future?

Ricky Pearsall is another clear example of what could have been for the Arizona State football program during the years former head coach Herm Edwards roamed the sidelines.

The Arizona native played for the Sun Devils from 2019-21 - enjoying his most successful year in the last with the program, where he hauled in 48 receptions for 580 yards and accompanied that with four trips to the end zone.

The productive 2021 season was also in the midst of an offense that featured shaky playcalling via former OC Zak Hill that resulted in regression from Jayden Daniels and an over-reliance on RB Rachaad White despite possessing ample talent at the wide receiver position.

He then made the difficult decision to move elsewhere - as he joined the Florida Gators as part of the mass exodus from the program in the midst of an expansive NCAA investigation into Edwards' program - Daniels famously reneged from a commitment to stay with the program after the 2021 season concluded as well.

It was possibly the best decision Pearsall could have made.

The talented wideout brought in 98 catches and scored nine touchdowns in two seasons with the Gators, eventually becoming a first round selection by the San Fransisco 49ers.

Despite Pearsall's college affiliation changing, it's still easy to root for the local high school product who sacrificed much to the program during some difficult seasons.

Now, Pearsall is coming off of a successful rookie season that saw the 6'1" pass catcher bring in 31 passes for 400 yards.

Pearsall is looking to expand on that in 2025 - especially with the 49ers moving on from gadget stud Deebo Samuel - but injuries could prevent that.

The second year player will not be able to participate in the team's OTA program due to a hamstring injury - and some around the fanbase are concerned about the early career struggles to stay on the field.

The recent string of events for Pearsall have been equally unfortunate and tragic, but durability was never a concern for the talented wideout in college - it could very well be several isolated incidents that can be worked through and eventually be non-issues long term.

Here's to hoping for a long and fruitful career for the former Sun Devil.

Read more about the turnaround that the Arizona State program has experienced post Edwards here and here.

Please let us know your thoughts on the second year outlook of the former Sun Devil when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.