floridagators
At SEC Media Days on Wednesday, Florida head coach Billy Napier said that the Gators are ‘on schedule’ heading into his third season at the helm in The Swamp. Phrasing that grabbed the attention of On3’s Andy Staples and many Florida fans. Staples took to Twitter on Napier’s messaging and asked his followers if they believe Florida is on schedule. An interesting topic that he discussed at media days with On3’s J.D. PicKell. “Their responses were really interesting because it kind of tracks with what I was thinking, that the fan base is basically split 50-50 on this situation,” Staples explaine...
On3
DALLAS — Billy Napier has a bit of an aw shucks, Southern charm that he smartly uses to disarm reporters. There’s something about a wry smile and a strong handshake. So some seven minutes into a scrum with local and national media Wednesday at SEC Media Days, Florida’s embattled head coach had yet to be asked the question we were all there to see what he’d say. I like Napier. I understand the challenges and constant changes he inherited, but this is a big-boy business, so I fired away. There’s been a lot of outside noise surrounding your job security and where things stand (with the Gators), b...
On3
Many are excited about what veteran Florida quarterback Graham Mertz can potentially do for the Gators this upcoming season. But true freshman and former five-star prospect DJ Lagway has also generated plenty of buzz this offseason as the quarterback of the future for the program. Lagway played a crucial role as a leader in recruiting for the Gators after committing in December of 2022 and sticking with Florida before enrolling in January of this year. Making an immediate impact since his arrival at the Swap which head coach Billy Napier spoke about at SEC Media Days. “DJ comes from a great fa...
On3
Graham Mertz’s offseason progress was the highlight of the Florida offseason, according to head coach Billy Napier. After transferring in from Wisconsin, Mertz had to reinvent himself. Well, he had to do so again after not having the success and NFL buzz he hoped for after 2023. Still, the improvements he made this time around are surely going to lead to success, according to his head coach. “Yeah, I mean, I think what Graham did was he proved himself on the field last year,” Napier said on SEC Network. “And the way he competed, the toughness, the grit, the way he prepared to play, he really s...
On3
As Florida looks to turn things around in Year 3 under coach Billy Napier, one place it will absolutely have to improve is on defense. Enter Penn transfer Joey Slackman, who should be a big part of the team’s shift in 2024. Slackman was one of the most coveted prospects in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Florida landed him. “Joey, man, what a unique evaluation, right?” Napier said on Wednesday at the SEC Media Days. “Wrestler, goes to college, takes on football, becomes the conference defensive player of the year. Then you get into the metrics, the guy’s 6-3, he’s 300-plus pounds.” On...
On3
Following a few days of rumors swirling online that Florida cornerback Cormani McClain had been kicked off the team or was at least in poor standing with the team, coach Billy Napier addressed the situation head on at the 2024 SEC Media Days. A former five-star prospect, McClain transferred to Florida from Colorado this offseason. “He’s doing fine. I mean, I think a lot of this gets blown out of proportion,” Napier said, according to GatorsOnline’s Nick de la Torre. “He’s a young player. Obviously we’re well aware of his history. Cormani’s a local kid from Lakeland. He’s got relationships with...
On3
There might not be a coach under more pressure in the SEC than Billy Napier. While he maintains Florida is on the schedule, wins will have to start stacking up for Napier at some point. Only issue is the Gators perceivably have one of the toughest schedules in college football history. So what does success look like for Napier in his third year in charge? He gave his thoughts at SEC Media Days in Dallas, beginning by saying Florida is going to approach things in small increments. Summer workouts are still ongoing but focus will soon switch over to training camp. “One of the things I’ve learned...
On3
Florida head coach Billy Napier gave a touching tribute to the late Monte Kiffin to open up his address at SEC Media Days. Napier worked with Lane Kiffin when the two were at Alabama, and was in touch with the current Ole Miss coach recently. Monte Kiffin, a coaching legend, died last week at the age of 84. But Napier honored the coach and sent a message to Lane. “I like to start today with a few comments about Monte Kiffin and the Kiffin family,” Napier began. “So this week, we lost one of the all time greats in our profession, Monte Kiffin. And I worked with Lane for three years at the Unive...
On3
College football can vary greatly in terms of expectations, both from within a program and on the outside. Florida is not necessarily a place known for its patience in building a program. After two losing seasons under coach Billy Napier, patience is running a bit thin in Gainesville. Can Napier turn things around with a positive Year 3, despite record-low expectations on the outside? He might well have to. One of the first questions Billy Napier faced after arriving at the 2024 SEC Media Days was about his job status. Napier’s response was telling. “Change doesn’t happen overnight. Timing is ...
On3
Prognostication season is quickly coming to an end, with SEC Media Days signaling the unofficial start of the 2024 campaign. But there’s still time for analysts to get off a last take or two, and the SEC Network’s Greg McElroy had a hot one on Wednesday. He’s picking Florida as the league’s most disrespected team entering 2024… a team likely to surprise based on that simple fact. “This team is not as far away as people want to point to,” Greg McElroy said. “Now I acknowledge very much the schedule is a monster. No doubt about it. But I’ve got to be honest, I think if you had Georgia playing th...
On3
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