SEC Football Snapshots: Improvement not out of the question for the Florida Gators
It's time to preview the 2024 SEC football season. We last looked at the Auburn Tigers. Now we go to Gainesville for a Florida Gator program that's facing some of the lowest expectations they've had in years.
Billy Napier's seat could not be hotter. But could his team sneakily be better off entering 2024 than people realize?
Examining the Florida Gators' offense
This may come as a surprise to you, but the Florida offense didn't suck in 2024. They had some rough outings, but specifically in conference play, they were actually solid offensively (30.5 PPG, 6.1 YPP). A big reason for that was QB Graham Mertz playing better than expected (73%, 2903 yards, 20 TDs, 3 INTs). He did nothing special but served as a good game-manager to steady that side of the ball.
Mertz returns for 2024, and while his top play-makers from last season, RB Trevor Etienne and WR Ricky Pearsall, depart, there's still good skill talent in Gainesville. RB Montrell Johnson has run for over 800 yards each of the last two seasons. WR Eugene Wilson impressed as a true freshman, and the talented Elijah Badger transfers in from Arizona State.
The Gator OL had some struggles last year, but it's a more experienced group this season. Assuming they make the natural progression, Florida could end up fielding a legitimately good offense.
Examining the Florida Gators' defense
While the UF offense was likely underrated last season, the same couldn't be said on defense. They were bad, allowing nearly 34 PPG in SEC play. The hope is that having more experience this year will lead to much-needed improvements.
UF has a veteran DL with plenty of size, led by nose Cam Jackson and end Tyreak Sapp. That group will have to much better up front, however. They struggled in run defense, and the only player to provide regular pass rush, Princely Umanmielen, transferred out. Northern Illinois-transfer George Gumbs may help in that department.
LB Shemar James gives and S Jordan Castell are good pieces in the Back 7, but more faces need to step up. CB Jason Marshall is a veteran, and Washington-transfer S Asa Turner was a nice addition.
Thoughts on the Florida Gators entering 2024
Billy Napier has been the whipping boy of the college football offseason. He's the most "pre-fired" coach in the sport entering the year given the struggles through two seasons at a program that expects to contend. And more specifically, it's his struggles coupled with what is far and away the toughest schedule in the country.
Florida plays eight Top-25 caliber teams, most of whom can realistically contend for the playoff and a few that could win a national title, with two more games against likely bowl teams. It's a hard enough schedule that, genuinely, eight wins would justify inclusion in the playoff.
Because of that, almost no one projects the Gators to be a bowl team, which would be the bare minimum result to save Napier's job (even that may not be enough). But there's an argument to be made that UF is being undervalued.
The offense has the pieces to be legitimately good, and if more experience on defense translates to better production, this could suddenly be a solid team. Now against this schedule, merely being solid may not be enough to make real improvements to the final record. But they do get several key games in the Swamp. Could they spring some upsets and end up saving Napier's job? Don't entirely rule it out.