The Gators added one other four-star vast 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 scorching seat rankings.Â
Via his first three seasons at Florida (2022-24), Napier has a 19-19 document, together with 1-1 in bowl video games. He posted his first profitable season final yr, 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, profitable late-season house video games towards LSU and Ole Miss, eliminating each from the School Soccer Playoff dialog.
Whereas expectations is likely to be increased for the Gators, they might discover it troublesome to enhance a lot from final season.
Per ESPN’s Soccer Energy 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 may.
Together with his recruiting success, the Gators would danger dropping their gifted prospects by firing Napier ought to Florida underwhelm this fall.
In response to Reuters, Daniel, an Alabama native, defined his resolution to decide to Florida by saying, “What makes Florida stand out to me are the teaching employees. Coach Napier is mostly a nice coach.”Â
McCoy additionally praised Napier and the teaching employees, crediting the “household environment” as a significant attract his selection. Â
Florida is not the facility it as soon as was, and it is unclear whether or not Napier is the correct coach to return this system to glory. However with each high-profile recruit who commits to the Gators, the probabilities improve that he’ll be round in 2026.
