Florida Gators Believe WR Commit Tyree Patterson Is ‘Underrated’

Some eyebrows were raised on Sunday afternoon when Tyree Patterson, a relatively unknown recruit from Eustis (Fla.) became the first 2023 prospect to commit to the Florida Gators under head coach Billy Napier.

Napier and his staff welcomed the pledge after sending a scholarship offer Patterson's way earlier in April, following his first visit to the program in March and before a second trip to The Swamp for the Gators' Orange and Blue game.

Although Patterson was tough to find in recruiting rankings, the Gators believed in their evaluation of the wide receiver following a productive breakout season for his high school and a strong showing in the Orlando Elite Underclassmen Camp a few weeks ago. Sports Illustrated All-American deemed Patterson as a standout at that event.

"The UF coaches have seen [film from the camp] and that's how I got offered, actually," Patterson shared. "They wanted to see more film available of me, so they've seen that."

There, Patterson displayed polished route-running and the ability to use his length at 6-foot-3 to his advantage at the catch point. Pairing a strong showing in a camp setting after breaking the 1,000-yard mark and scoring 13 touchdowns as a junior, Patterson's recruitment was bound to take off in the near future.

Less than 24 hours after making his pledge, Patterson earned a spot on the 247Sports Composite rankings as the nation's No. 78 2023 receiver, after previously being considered the No. 128 receiver in the class by 247's own rankings.

Offers from other programs are sure to come as a result, but Florida made sure to lock his commitment up before other schools could get into the mix.

"My relationship with the coaches and everything, just how they treated me from day one and stuff," Patterson explained about his decision to commit to Florida. "I like the campus and everything, the environment. I like the whole coaching staff, you know, everybody treated me well.

"Every time I went up there it felt like home. That's a big part for me, because if I'm committing then that's going to be my decision for the next four years, where I'm gonna wake up and all that. If I love it, it's an everyday thing for me that I love. So you know, it just felt like home."

As has been noted previously in Patterson's conversations with AllGators, UF wide receivers coach Keary Colbert has pointed toward his former receiver at USC, Drake London, as a comparison for Patterson's skill-set. London is weeks away from being selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, likely in the first-to-second round.

Patterson expanded on the comparison, his fit in the Gators' offense and Florida's overall assessment of his game.

"[Colbert] said I remind him a lot of [London] in my game," Patterson said. "He says he likes that I'm tall and long, so I can reach out to the ball for tougher catches and everything. My route running, you know, he likes that too. Overall, they just feel like I'm underrated."

"I'm pretty sure by the time I get to college, [Colbert is] probably gonna have me play mostly on the outside. But in my opinion, I feel like I can run the slot too because of my route running stuff, and how fast I get out of my releases and all that. So, I feel like I can be a slot receiver too."

Patterson has built a tight bond with Napier since earning his offer as well, sharing that Napier is the only head coach who consistently checks in on him among those involved in his recruitment. The same can be said about the rest of the staff, Patterson added, giving him a sense of comfort that he was truly wanted by the program.

The spring game served as a cherry on top for Patterson before he shut his recruitment down, allowing him to examine how Napier's passing offense will operate and how he could be used. Patterson came away a big fan of starting quarterback Anthony Richardson following his stellar performance.

"I liked number 15, the QB that's there right now, Patterson told AllGators about the spring game. "I hope he's still there by the time I get there."

Patterson joins Trinity Christian (Ga.) defensive back Aaron Gates as members of Florida's 2023 recruiting class. Gates has remained committed to the program despite initially pledging to the Gators' previous coaching staff.

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