The NFL Combine is slated to get underway and Florida Football fans are going to have plenty to cheer for this week. Nine former Gators have been invited to Indianapolis to try and impress NFL scouts. Florida is tied for having the 9th most invites to the Combine in 2025.
So, in one breath, it's a reminder of Florida's ability to develop talent into potential NFL draft picks. But in the next breath, it is a reminder Florida didn't have a great 2024 campaign despite having the talent to do it.
Florida Football: Talent Pool
Yes, at times, it seems like all we do here at Hail Florida Hail is point out Billy Napier's failures during his time with the Gators. But time and time again, the counterargument to give Napier more time is, "He has had to restock the talent pool after Dan Mullen drained it."
So....
Was having nine invites to the Combine not enough talent to go better than 8-5?
Of the 12 schools in the country that have at least eight players invited to this year's Combine, Michigan is the only other school to not win at least nine games in 2024.
While we are keeping score, Florida and Michigan are the only two schools that had at least seven players invited who lost four games by 10+ points in 2024.
Florida has more invites to the Combine than Notre Dame, Tennessee, Clemson, Iowa State, Syracuse, and Penn State, all schools that managed at least ten wins in 2024.
Keep in mind, in 2022, the Gators had a good chunk of their offense get drafted and were still mired mid-tier in multiple offensive categories.
Yes, Florida finished strong in 2024, and yes, there is a feeling of momentum heading into 2025, but it is fair to question whether Napier is going to maximize the talent he has when he has yet to do that in any of his three years in Gainesville.