Florida Football's transfer portal approach striking similar tones to last year

Florida Football is set to host a number of transfer portal prospects, and very quickly, Gator fans are noticing a pattern playing out that has played out every year of the Billy Napier Era.

Napier's approach might land some talent we won't fully appreciate, but it also runs in contrast to the narrative he tried to sell fans in the lead-up to National Signing Day and the transfer portal.

Florida Football: Show me the money

One of the areas many fans believe Florida needs to address in the portal is at wide receiver. At first glance, there were a ton of intriguing options in the initial wave of portal entrants for Florida to explore.

But it is quickly evident that Florida isn't going to land any of the "big ticket" receivers they have kicked the tires at. Nic Anderson, Micah Hudson, Barion Brown, Dane Key, and Eric Rivers are among the top-rated receivers who all look like they will be heading elsewhere in 2025.

Even Reggie Virgil, the Miami (OH) receiver we profiled earlier this week, committed to Texas Tech overnight when he was supposed to visit Florida this weekend.

At this point, Florida's wide receiver board is essentially J.Michael Sturdivant from UCLA and Chase Sowell from ECU. There are merits to both players, but it highlights Napier's perception issue as the transfer portal season progresses.

Part of the justification for keeping Napier was that his buyout money could instead be funneled into NIL money. Florida fans were sold a narrative that Florida was going to be "aggressive" in the transfer portal this offseason.

Instead, we are once again watching Napier employ his diamond-in-the-rough strategy.

Don't get it twisted; his approach has landed some "nice" players such as George Gumbs, Chimere Dike, or Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, but if Florida is going to make the playoffs in 2025, they need more than "nice" players; they need elite.

Last year, Florida's best transfer portal grab, Elijhah Badger, fell into their lap at the last second. That unexpected player may still be out there, but after watching Florida move at a snail's pace last year in the portal, Gator fans are quickly realizing that's what's happening again this offseason.