The first year on the sidelines of the Swamp was a tough one for head coach Billy Napier who took over a struggling program ahead of the 2022 college football season and stumbled to a 6-7 finish — the same record his predecessor logged the year prior.
To be fair, Napier had his work cut out with a roster that had more holes than a pumice stone and a recruiting paradigm that was three steps behind the competition. Nonetheless, the Gator Nation is short on patience and the rest of the Southeastern Conference has already punished the Orange and Blue for not keeping its head above water – time is truly of the essence if Florida is going to return to competitiveness.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli recently ranked all 131 Football Bowl Subdivision school head coaches ahead of the 2023 season, with Napier landing at No. 43 on the list. Here is what Fornelli had to offer on Florida’s sophomore skipper.
Billy Napier: If you knew Florida would have a QB that would be drafted No. 4 in the NFL Draft before last season began, you probably would’ve predicted a season better than the one the Gators had in Napier’s debut. Florida went 6-7, winning only three SEC games and finishing the year with an embarrassing 30-3 loss to Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl with most of its star players (including that QB) sidelined. It’s no surprise Napier’s stock took a hit here. 2022 rank: 32 (-11)
The Gators open up their 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with the start time still to be determined.
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