When one of the top players in a division goes down, coaches around the conference tend to notice. When one of the best players in the country goes down, everyone in college football tends to notice.
Florida head coach Billy Napier was asked about Georgia tight end Brock Bowers’ ankle injury on Monday, a question he avoided during the Week 8 SEC teleconference. In the most polite way possible, Napier admitted that Bowers’ ankle sprain and subsequent surgery should help Florida’s defense on Saturday.
“Obviously, this is not only one of the best players in America this year and last year. I mean, this is one of the best players of all time,” Napier said. “This guy is a really unique matchup relative to his ability to run routes and get open, his ability to run after the catch. I mean, they’re handing the guy sweeps, they’re handing the guy the ball and he’s a terrific blocker…
“… He made them really hard to defend. I think, ultimately, the matchups just change. These are questions probably more for them than they are for me, but we’ll prepare for the personnel we’ve been watching.”
Napier also pointed out that Georgia isn’t a program that’s devoid of talent. Bowers may be a generational unicorn, but there are capable offensive weapons all over the Bulldogs’ offense. Quarterback Carson Beck caught Napier’s eye as a player who’s consistently improved this year.
Georgia’s offense will be down an elite talent, but Napier isn’t counting any chickens just yet. His defensive front is still fairly young and still growing, and the secondary has more valleys than peaks this season.
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