There are a lot of opinions being spread about the current state of the Florida football program, especially after the team suffered player losses to both the NFL draft and transfer portal.
Sports publication The Athletic shared a roundtable about the most intriguing recruits and the most interesting storylines from the early singing period.
Staff writer Manny Navarro is looking forward to seeing how UF head coach Billy Napier handles the pressure of sitting in the hot seat next season when five-star quarterback DJ Lagway is champing at the bit for some playing time.
“It feels like there’s so much riding on Lagway’s shoulders in Gainesville when it comes to Napier’s future there,” Navarro said. “Graham Mertz is returning for another season, but how long does Napier ride the veteran when clearly he’s going to need something to build upon for the future to get Florida fans and the administration excited?”
“Florida’s recruiting class fell apart down the stretch — yet Lagway stuck it out — so it almost feels like Napier owes his star recruit an opportunity to get on the field early and potentially save himself from the chopping block.”
Another staff writer for The Athletic, Antonio Morales, says that the Florida Gators have the most disappointing recruiting class of 2024, citing that the team fell apart under Napier’s control last season.
“Had a couple of thoughts here but I’ll go with Florida, mainly because of what the class was at one point and what it ended up being,” Morales wrote. “Everyone had doubts about whether Billy Napier could keep this class together if the Gators struggled on the field, and those concerns became a reality.”
“Florida did sign two five-star prospects in quarterback DJ Lagway and defensive lineman LJ McCray, but it lost commitments from six top-150 players since the start of November and eight blue-chip prospects total. The class is 16th nationally, but the way the cycle ended will only raise more questions about Napier’s future with the Gators.”
Florida currently stands as the No. 16 recruiting class in the nation, a serious tumble from the top-five position it held onto for most of the 2023 regular season.
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