Billy Napier is ready to turn the page on a less-than-successful Year 1 at the helm of the Florida Gators.
The culture change is near completion, and Napier can already tell that he’s working with a different kind of group heading into the 2023 season. The work ethic in the weight room over the spring and summer is the first bit of evidence.
“We had 53 players that set records for max velocity this summer, which I think was really positive,” Napier said at his fall training camp opening press conference. “TJ Searcy gained 12 pounds of muscle since January, Jalen Kimber has gained eight pounds since April, Jack Pyburn – 10 pounds of muscle mass since January. His body fat percentage went down 6%, so Jack really did a terrific job.”
Jason Marshall Jr. also added seven pounds of lean muscle, and Napier pointed to the “fantastic summer” Princely Umanmielen had, setting personal records in many workouts and adding 10 pounds. It’s not just the returning players that are seeing immediate returns from Florida’s offseason training program.
First-year player Tony Livingston added 28 pounds, and true freshman Bryce Lovett exchanged 10 pounds of fat for muscle. Receiver Andy Jean also added nine pounds of lean mass.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are using the resources,” he said. “I thought the buy-in was much improved, and I think we’ve benefitted from being in the Heavener center … I think there’s a renewed accountability with this group of players.”
That also means returning players are beginning to step up as Year 2 of the Napier era at Florida gets underway. Napier admitted that several leaders have emerged over the past six months.
Training camp is the final phase before the season starts, and the Gators will only have three weeks of practices to prepare for a Utah club that’s ready to get revenge for last year’s Week 1 loss to UF. It won’t be easy to take down the Utes, but a leaner and meaner Gators team can’t hurt things.
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