Hail Florida Hail
Fansided

Florida Football: What is and isn’t Billy Napier’s fault for 2023 season?

By Benjamin Henderson

Nov 25, 2022; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gestures during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2022; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gestures during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Florida football
Sep 30, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier during a timeout in the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

Florida Football: Who gets the blame?

Special Teams – Napier

When one makes the bold choice not to have a special team coordinator on staff and then witnesses special team blunder after special team’s blunder, there is no blaming the other guy.

And it’s not like the unit was an area of strength last season that the blunders this season were unforeseeable. But Napier’s choice to employ analyst Chris Couch to handle the unit rather than an on-field assistant has to be remedied in the offseason.

Florida football has given away far too many points this season due to the “Gamechangers” unit, and it cost them the game against Arkansas.

One could argue it cost them the game against Utah.

Florida football
Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen waits outside the locker room for his team before running onto the field to play the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday September 25, 2021 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. [Doug Engle/GainesvilleSun]2021Flgai 092521 Gatorsvsvolsgatorwalk /

Florida Football: Who gets the blame?

Poor run defense – Mullen

During the 2020 season, Florida was 78th at opponents yards per rush. That dipped to 85th in 2021.

They were 98th in 2022 and are currently 97th in 2023.

So, if the ranking has gone down, why are we still blaming Mullen?

Let’s review those recruiting rankings and see what Mullen left behind.

In 2020, he signed Gervon Dexter and Derek Wingo as his only two top 300 front-seven defensive players. Dexter is now in the NFL, while Wingo is trying to get into the defensive rotation.

The 2021 class had Scooby Williams, Diwun Black, Tyreak Sapp, and Justus Boone as the only top 300 front seven guys. Williams has significantly improved this season, but he still isn’t a natural middle linebacker. Black had to go the JuCo route. Sapp has been decent enough, and Boone tore his ACL before the season started.

Mullen’s departing class of 2022 had Chris McClellan, Shemar James, and Jamari Lyons as the only three top 300 front-seven players. James has been great when healthy, but he is out for the year. McClellan is solid in rotation along the defensive line, and Lyons has been rotating along the line this season.

So in the three seasons leading up to his departure, Mullen signed nine players in the top 300 that play along the front seven of the defensive. Only two were listed as inside linebackers, and three were listed as interior defensive linemen.

We can muse about defensive schemes, but the talent pipeline was nearly bone-dry for three seasons. And as guys have gotten hurt, which is going to happen, no guys are waiting in the wings, ready to step up.

Home/Florida Gators Football