The SEC preseason polls were just released following Media Days, and while they don't paint a bleak picture for the Florida Gators, they don't exactly paint a picture of confidence for Billy Napier and crew.
The Gators were picked 6th in the poll, and combined with minimal representation on the All-SEC team, it's clear that Florida has work to do in 2025.
Florida Gators with work to do in 2025
Texas got the most votes and was predicted to win the SEC. Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina followed the Longhorns. Of the teams Florida plays in 2025, the Gators were picked ahead of Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Kentucky.
Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber were the only members to make the First Team All-SEC, while Caleb Banks, Trey Smack, and Rocco Underwood made it on the Second Team. Tyreak Sapp made it on the Third Team.
It means, notably, that DJ Lagway and Eugene Wilson were left off altogether.
It paints a complicated picture for Florida as a team that will wind up on the bubble of the playoffs, but would ultimately come up short if they finished 6th in the SEC.
For what it is worth, Florida was picked 12th in last year's preseason poll and ultimately finished 10th. South Carolina was picked 13th and came within a whisker of making the playoffs.
2025 represents a critical year for the Billy Napier Era in Gainesville. After a rocky start to the 2024 campaign, Napier was able to right the ship with a four-game winning streak to close out the season. Even the more patient of fans seem to agree that the bar for Florida in 2025 is playoffs or bust, given that Florida's roster has all the pieces needed to make a run.
And for Florida to make that run, Lagway is going to need to beat his own predictions and finish 2025 as a member of the All-SEC team.