The opening kickoff of the 2023 college football season is just weeks away and programs around the nation are starting up their preseason practice regimes in preparation for the upcoming campaign.
After a busy summer that saw Billy Napier and his Florida football team rise to the top of the recruiting rankings, the squad looks to snap its streak of two-straight seasons finishing under the .500 mark — both times with a 6-7 record. Unfortunately, the sports media is quite bearish on the Orange and Blue’s chances this fall, with the Gators landing fifth in the SEC East division according to the conference’s media days poll.
The good news is that the culture change Napier sought to install when he first arrived appears to be falling into place. Additionally, the team has focused heavily on diet and weight room gains, resulting in a leaner and meaner approach to cross-training while giving the players a bit more self-confidence ahead of what CBS Sports believes is the toughest Power Five schedule in the nation.
Speaking of CBS Sports, the publication released its preseason college football rankings and placed the Gators at No. 41 overall. That ranking is nine spots better than where they finished last season when CBS Sports ranked them at No. 50 following Napier’s debut campaign.
Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.
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