Yesterday, we highlighted a USA Today ranking of SEC coaches who didn't have a lot of faith in Billy Napier's ability to lead the Florida Gators in 2025. The coaches' ranking had Napier 15th out of 16, even with the four-game winning streak ending in 2024.
It's not all gloom and doom for Florida, though, and a separate On3 ranking in the wake of everyone's spring game has high hopes for a big season out of Napier and crew.
Are the Florida Gators a top-ten team?
Andy Staples of On3 released Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings after spring and he has Florida ranked 9th in the nation. Of SEC schools, Florida is behind Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
If you strictly off the ranking based on Florida's schedule, Staples envisions a possible 10-2 season for the Gators.
This tracks with the potential we have said Florida has coming into 2025. While we don't fully agree with Staples' assessment that "the offensive and defensive lines that finished the season mauling potential playoff contenders will return intact" because defensive tackle is a real concern for this team, there is enough high-end potential on this squad to be a ten win roster and make the playoffs.
As with any prediction, DJ Lagway is front and center of Florida's hopes and dreams, but one of the other reasons Florida has had mostly positive buzz coming out of the spring game was the performance freshman Dallas Wilson had.
While there is a significantly lower floor for the wide receiver room than most are willing to admit, the group also has the potential to be a top-ten unit by the end of the season. Combine that with a loaded cache of running backs, and it is possible that Florida will top 30 points per game for the first time in the Billy Napier Era.
Add in a stacked linebacker room that will lead a defense that hopes to continue its play that closed out 2024, and it isn't entirely wild to see why someone might think Florida can make the playoffs in 2025.