Ten offseason warning signs Florida Football was always going to be terrible in 2024
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4106,h_2309,x_0,y_1007/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F213%2F01j7xf79f6wafy89fam6.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
May:
Ron Roberts was sold to fans as a grizzled veteran who was going to upgrade Florida's defense. We noted that he was far from a home run hire.
"One could argue the Missouri moment is on the players, and linebacker Mannie Nunnery stopped about seven yards short of where he needed to be. But we have argued here at Hail Florida Hail that it seemed like a poor choice to have your backup linebacker drop 20 yards into coverage, where he would be matched up with one of the top wide receivers in the SEC. In addition, Jordan Castell was 30 yards off the ball and was no help. If we had to guess, he was told not to allow anyone behind him, no matter what.
Napier would say he addressed this by hiring Ron Roberts to work alongside Austin Armstrong. But this is the same Ron Roberts who gave up 4th and 31 to Alabama after he opted only to rush three and drop eight, giving Jalen Milroe six seconds with zero pressure in his face to pick out an open receiver in the endzone."
Notably one of the flaws on Florida's defense continues to be the play of the safeties, who continue to be unwilling to come downhill to make plays and just allow receivers to catch everything in front of them.
June:
Some were trying to drum up a narrative that because of Florida's schedule in 2024, it could save Napier if things went south.
We made the case that Napier still had to show progress even with the schedule.
"But the brutality and nonstop gauntlet of opponents don't shield Florida and Billy Napier from expectations this season. And even though it's a daunting task ahead of them, it is still fair to set a checkpoint of where this program is supposed to be by year three of the Napier era."