The Gators added another four-star wide receiver, Marquez Daniel, on Saturday.
Regardless of restricted on-field success in three seasons as Gators head coach, Napier’s sturdy recruiting class ought to give him additional job safety forward of the 2025 season.
In February, The Athletic’s Seth Emerson ranked Napier No. 2 in his SEC teaching sizzling seat rankings.
By way of his first three seasons at Florida (2022-24), Napier has a 19-19 file, together with 1-1 in bowl video games. He posted his first successful season final 12 months, going 8-5 and main the Gators to a Gasparilla Bowl win.
2024 five-star quarterback recruit D.J. Lagway had a promising freshman season, successful late-season dwelling video games towards LSU and Ole Miss, eliminating each from the School Soccer Playoff dialog.
Whereas expectations may be greater for the Gators, they may discover it troublesome to enhance a lot from final season.
Per ESPN’s Football Power Index, Florida has the nation’s hardest energy of schedule. It ought to start the season 2-0 with video games towards FCS Lengthy Island and South Florida, however a brutal stretch follows.
Florida performs LSU and Miami in back-to-back weeks on the street. Following a bye, it hosts Texas, then travels to Texas A&M. The Gators additionally play Georgia and Tennessee in The Swamp whereas getting Ole Miss on the street.
It is a daunting schedule with a number of land mines. Florida is unlikely to emerge unscathed, however Napier would possibly.
Along with his recruiting success, the Gators would danger shedding their gifted prospects by firing Napier ought to Florida underwhelm this fall.
According to Reuters, Daniel, an Alabama native, defined his determination to decide to Florida by saying, “What makes Florida stand out to me are the teaching workers. Coach Napier is known as a nice coach.”
McCoy additionally praised Napier and the teaching workers, crediting the “household ambiance” as a serious attract his alternative.
Florida is not the facility it as soon as was, and it is unclear whether or not Napier is the proper coach to return this system to glory. However with each high-profile recruit who commits to the Gators, the probabilities enhance that he’ll be round in 2026.
