Is 2025 Florida’s step forward—or step off a ledge?

In less than two weeks, we are going to have actual Florida Gators football to watch, analyze, and commentate on as the 2025 season is set to kick off against LIU on August 30.

Florida enters their 2025 campaign with a ceiling that could be the highest of highs, while also possessing a floor that would be the lowest of lows.

So let's take a look at what the ceiling and the floor might look like for Florida in 2025

Florida's 2025 Ceiling - Playoff Semifinals

As we here at Hail Florida Hail have talked about throughout the offseason, the roster for the Gators is strong enough to make a decent-sized run in 2025.

If DJ Lagway makes any kind of progression and morphs into the QB we all think he can be, Florida will enter almost every game this season with an advantage at QB.

There is also the backdrop and hope that Russ Callaway actually gets a say in how the offense runs, since he is the "Offensive Coordinator" afterall, and Florida turns things into a track meet.

Combined with the potential for high-end talent at almost every position group, the Gators can absolutely make noise this season, go 10-2, and make a run in the playoffs depending upon the matchups.

The Gators are lacking "elite" talent across the board compared to the top-end programs, which is why it is hard to see them winning a national title even if Lagway balls out.

But Billy Napier has more than enough pieces in place to be one of the "surprise" teams of 2025.

Floor - Billy Napier is fired before the Georgia game

So much has been made about Florida's schedule, and games three through six are going to be a gauntlet.

But when one starts envisioning the floor of the Gators in 2025, the schedule is a looming backdrop to these questions:

• What if Lagway hasn't progressed because he's been hurt all summer?
• What if Florida's defensive line lacks depth?
• What if Florida still relies on predictable two-tight end sets in key situations?
• What if Florida's reliance on turnovers last year dries up on defense this year?
• What if Florida still isn't organized in high-pressure situations?

We can keep going with a ton of other doubts, but the key backdrop is that even these five questions and unknowns are enough to sink Florida during its gauntlet against LSU, Miami, Texas, and Texas A&M.

As of right now, Florida is probably considered an underdog against those first three, and there is a non-zero chance Florida goes 0-4 through that gauntlet.

Do we expect Florida to go 0-4?

No.

Is it possible?

Yes.

And hence why we think the floor for Florida's season is Billy Napier getting fired before the Georgia game.