Hail Florida Hail
Fansided

Five reasons Billy Napier will still be the coach of Florida Football in 2025

The heat is on for Napier, but there is reason to believe he can weather the storm

By Benjamin Henderson

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next

5. The players still here are guys that want to be here

Sep 16, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) reacts
Sep 16, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) reacts / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Going back to point number three about the roster, think about all of those players mentioned and whether or not they would have been gobbled up in a heartbeat if they hit the transfer portal.

While losing guys like Trevor Etienne and Princely Umanmielen is not a great look for the program, one thing Napier can be assured of in 2024 is that the guys who stayed are guys that believe in his mission.

Go back to the Missouri game last season. Part of what made that game so frustrating was that after Mertz went down with his collarbone injury, the Gators looked like a team that was still going to will itself to a victory.

But one of the forgotten moments from that game was when Etienne ran out of bounds on Florida's final possession rather than forcing Missouri to take its final timeout, which was then used to set up 4th and 17.

Given his departure and comments since, one could craft a narrative he wasn't bought in.

Napier's entire selling point is that he was building a foundation that could last. At this point in the process, anyone still here knows enough about Napier to know whether or not his foundation is for real or a mirage.

It could be enough to get the Gators over the hump in 2024.

Home/Florida Gators Football