The Southeastern Conference’s annual summer media days are right around the corner and ahead of the prestigious event, many among Florida football’s fan base are wondering what to expect from their nascent head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. After a bizarre end to an era that seemed to have a great deal of promise at one point, the collapse of the [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] regime left a bitter taste on the palate of the Gator Nation.
Now seven months into his first Power Five school tenure, the new skipper has a laundry list of questions to answer and he faces his first media gauntlet this week at the SEC media days events. While there are plenty of inquiries on the slate of a finer granular nature, the larger issue is if the former Ragin’ Cajun is up to the overall task in the nation’s toughest conference.
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee recently assembled his expectations for the annual media event, focusing on the transition of both leaders and their philosophies. What he offered on the Gators should come as no surprise.
Out with the old, in with the new
Florida sent Dan Mullen packing and replaced him with up-and-coming star Billy Napier after a successful four-year stint at Louisiana. Napier’s primary concern is rebuilding a roster that was neglected from a development standpoint during the end of the Mullen era. That’s easier said than done, but Napier hit the transfer portal market hard and has a budding star in [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] under center.
The two new coaches (referring also to LSU‘s Brian Kelly) in the SEC couldn’t be more different when it comes to coaching experience, but they are with programs that have top-level potential.
Despite the issues the previous administration had on the recruiting front, Napier still benefits from a healthy remaining roster that features enough top talent to get him through the transition period. Of course, the SEC is where the men are truly separated from the boys so it has yet to be seen if the new head coach has the mettle for the nation’s gridiron gauntlet, but all indicators so far agree that he is cut out for the job.
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