The opening kickoff of the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl is just a few days away and ahead of the matchup between the Florida Gators and Tulane Green Wave, the former schools’ head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] spoke to the press about his program’s preparations.
A lot has happened since the Orange and Blue wrapped up its regular season with three straight wins, punctuated with a road victory over the Florida State Seminoles to wrap it up. Between the early signing period and the transfer portal, Napier and Co. have had their hands full.
Below is a look at everything he had to offer on Monday upon arrival in Tampa ahead of the Gasparilla Bowl.
On the bowl game preparation
“Yeah, I’ve been very pleased. I think, in particular, the last couple days, pretty sharp this morning, and we basically have executed a Sunday to Wednesday routine, and then we’ll kind of reboot a little bit. We’ll walk through tomorrow and then have Thursday, and Friday play the game. So in general, very pleased with the attitude of the players.”
On what Tulane to matchup
“Yeah, well, first of all, well-coached, I think they’ve got a formula that works for them, you know, from a winning perspective, I think they play really good defense, they’re committed to the run. And I think, you know, Summrall l has had terrific track record as head coach, you know, to compete for the conference championship this year as a first-year coach I thought was impressive.
“And then, you know, familiar with him from his background in the SEC and then certainly watch closely what he was able to do at Troy, so they’ve got a really good football team. I mean, I think in that part of the country, you can put a talented roster together. I’m very familiar with that.”
On excitement of playing in bowl game
“Yeah, I mean, I would tell you, man, our guys were excited when we found out we were going to be in Tampa. It was a big deal and to play on the 20th, I mean we’d be lying if we weren’t happy with that. I think these guys have an opportunity to finish the right way in our state, then be home for Christmas and have a couple weeks off before we get back out in January.
“So good to be in Tampa. Obviously, Gator Nation will be on full display, it’ll be a great opportunity for our fans to come out.”
How much momentum UF has coming in
“Well, in general, I think we’ve, we’ve gotten to a place where we think we could beat anybody, you know. I think this team has a ton of confidence. I think that comes from the work. I think they realize the results that they’ve gotten are because of the mindset and the approach they’ve taken towards the work.
“So we’ve seen that carry over. Lot of other things have happened in a positive light as well. Signing Day went well, I think we’ve been able to retain a huge portion of our roster for next year, and then obviously we’ll be adding a few more pieces here down the stretch.”
On Jake Slaughter’s affect on team
“Well, number one would be his impact on the rest of the team. You know, I think his example, his selflessness, his humility, he’s just a guy who has care for his teammates and then just a very consistent, dependable worker, durable and just a blue-collar guy. But he’s a great communicator, and then I think he has a way about him that inspires confidence to the players around him.
“So I think he’s helped that room as a whole. That room is as healthy as it’s been since we’ve been here, not only the caliber of player but just the culture in that room. And he’s been at the center of that.”
On adjusted transfer portal, early signing day window
“Well, I would tell you, we took one step in the right direction. We didn’t have to go on the road recruiting, and we got signing day moved up. Just imagine if we had just had signing day just a couple days ago, right?
“So I think we literally would be two days away from signing day, right, in last year’s format, so we got that out of the way, then that allows you an opportunity to meet with your players. We didn’t have the conference championship conflict, and certainly that would be a challenge.
“But I think most of the times, those teams are in a good place, you know, and they’re focused on winning that game, and they can kind of transition later on. So look, it’s not perfect. I think there’s some things to consider, but we’ve got a conflict, right? We’ve got an academic calendar that conflicts with, you know, kind of this finding a new home, right? Decide where you’re going to play next year.
“So I’m thankful for the players in our team that decided they’re coming back next year, and obviously we had a really good group decide they’re coming, so look, it’s one year at a time. It’s one team at a time. That’s my attitude towards it.
“So you know, we’ll get this one out of the way, and then we’ll regroup here. January 12, whoever shows up, we’ll coach that group next year.”
On Cam Jackson playing in bowl game
“Well, you know, Cam has been a little bit limited in bowl practice, you know, he got banged up in the Florida State game. But just in general, for him to, you know, finish the season with his team, be around for bowl practice, and obviously he’s a Senior Bowl invite. He’ll be an NFL draft pick.
“But look, these guys enjoy being around each other. I think that’s part of the positive here is, like, you got, you know, sometimes you’ll have a guy pack it up and head off and start training, but I think these guys enjoy each other’s company, you know.
“And I think this team, when we look back at it, I think this ’24 team, what they were able to accomplish, the way they finished, I think would be significant in the future.”
On whether Florida’s finished with retention aspect
“Yeah, I think for the most part. I mean, you know, nothing surprises me anymore. I think we got, for the most part, most of that is done. You know, there’s a handful of things that we got to get resolved, but look, until they show up for class in January, you know, I think it’s not a done deal, right?
“In a perfect world you would have some type of document you could sign that would kind of lock them in, but we don’t have that so, but we gotta, we still have some work to do. We want to add a couple more players to our team, some positions in particular, but in general, I’d say – Mike Hodges is a legendary coach in Georgia high school circles that he used to say, don’t let the 5%, you know, distract you from the 95% that are doing it the right way.”
On Slaughter flying under the radar
“Well, it’s I mean, he started some last year, right? So I think next year is where he’ll really go off, if I had a bet. But look, he finished the year last year as the starter, was somewhat of a returning starter.
“But look, I think the statistics speak for themselves. To be a first-year starter, to be the highest-graded center in the country by PFF, and obviously well-respected out there as a player. So look, Jake’s gonna play this game for a long time, and he ain’t worried about that, I can promise you that, but it has been good to be able to recognize him in front of his peers.
“And, you know, it’s pretty cool to be an All-American, right, and, not many of those and, and he’ll always be able to look back at that and be proud of it.”
How to watch Gasparilla Bowl
The Florida-Tulane game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 20, and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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