Tampa (Florida) DJ Pickett, a Zephyrhills 247Sports Composite five-star cornerback, announced his top five schools on Friday night. He told 247Sports that he has down his options to “Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, and Miami.”
“These five schools, the connections I have with the coaches,” Pickett went on to say. “The top five, I’m not going anywhere else. “Those five will also be my official visits.”
Pickett spoke with 247Sports about his recent visits to Miami, LSU, and Oregon on Thursday night, starting with his homecoming to Coral Gables.
“That was good,” Pickett replied. His cousin, edge rusher Booker Pickett Jr., signed with Miami in the 2024 cycle, which ranked third nationwide according to 247Sports. “I was hanging out with my cousin Booker, and being near him at the same school is something you can’t ask for. That was quite large. I hope I’ll be able to play with him again.
The 247Sports Composite ranks Pickett as the No. 1 recruit in Florida and the No. 7 player in the country, and he says he will return to Miami for spring practice.
“It’s not too far from home,” Pickett added before discussing what else is capturing his attention. “People like Coach Cristobal. Then I brought my cousin there. I’m confident that I’ll do well, plus they have a strong defensive line, which is important for DBs. And it just runs in the family. “We’ll see.”
Pickett returned to LSU in the middle of last week, where he reconnected with defensive back Corey Raymond, who was his primary recruiter at Florida.
“He and I have a good relationship,” Pickett remarked. “When he was in Florida, I liked it a lot. His presence at LSU improves things.”
Pickett plans to attend a spring practice in Baton Rouge as well. Brian Kelly and his staff are in the running to sign the nation’s top class in 2025. Pickett would go a long way toward that.
“Just the people around the building,” Pickett responded when asked what catches his eye. “Coach Baker is a good person. Coach Kelly is terrific, and they just have a mission to win the National Championship, and the 2025 class they’re developing is a wonderful group to be a part of, which is significant.”
Pickett enjoyed his prior visit to Oregon for a fall game and returned this past weekend.
“It was good,” Pickett replied. “It was for my mother to watch it. She enjoyed the school, the people in the building, and so on. We just took a tour of their dormitories.”
Pickett will pay an official visit to Oregon sometime in the future.
“It’s just the people around the building,” Pickett explained. “I feel at ease with the entire coaching staff. It’s an excellent fit for me. I’m pretty close to practically everyone on the coaching staff.
Oregon has spoken with Pickett about playing both offense and defense. He is enthused about the program’s future trajectory under Dan Lanning and this personnel.
“They’re all bought into the program and what the program can be,” Pickett went on to say. “I just feel like the people, they’re great people, they’re willing to work together and build a good culture.”
Pickett visited Michigan during Thanksgiving weekend to watch the Wolverines defeat Ohio State.
“Me and Coach (Steve) Clinck(scale) have a real good bond,” Pickett went on to say. “The coaching change didn’t matter as long as Coach Clink was still around. It’s somewhere I’m confident I’ll be able to go on the field early and develop as a person.”
Pickett feels the same way about Georgia.
“Just T-Rob (Travaris Robinson) and Coach (Kirby) Smart, those are two good coaches I get a long with and can learn from,” Pickett went on to say.
As a junior, Pickett gained 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns on 52 receptions. He recorded 31 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore, he caught 43 passes for 886 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also making 39 tackles and four interceptions.
