Florida’s late-season run saved Billy Napier’s job last year — now can he leave the hot seat behind for good?

The end seemed close to Florida coach Billy Napier. A start of 1-2 in September – including a loss at home eruption against his rival in Miami – had power brokers of Florida preparing for a change at the top. Napier had a 12-16 sheet with the Gators, and the most difficult calendar in the country is still in the lead.

Meanwhile, Napier made his own plans, ignoring noise and speculation about his future. He “tinkered and modified” the offensive and the defense during a week’s start to the start of the season. Slowly but surely, a young list led by a quarter to fresh face began to mature. Florida won eight games, upset LSU and Ole Miss in consecutive weeks, and recorded the first winning season of the program since 2020 with four consecutive victories to end the year.

“We have built very good chemistry, morale and a connection with this group,” Napier told CBS Sports. “Football was not very good in the first month, and they really took possession of it. Maybe if you didn’t have this type of character, I don’t think we could have done it.”

Now comes the difficult part: leading the Gators to the qualifiers for university football and return to the top of the dry. Unfair expectation? Certainly. But it is Florida, where the statues of Tim Tebow and Steve Spurrier are looming on each triumph and failure, judging silently nothing less than perfection. It is the 4th year for Napier, and a record of 19-19 entering the season is not up to the standard. The seat is still hot – and he knows.

“With good, bad, right? There are only 16 of these jobs (dry). They compensate us. I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Napier. “And to be very simple here, we came to Florida to do a job, and we were ready to take up the challenge. We gathered the staff. We recruited each of these guys. We will finish the race, guy. I am enthusiastic by the team we have this year.”

The clichés and currencies can coat the improvement of adolescents in the locker room, but the balls of his will not win the fans if the football team loses. Keep in mind that Napier is the king of the marshes of slogans. Each speech he pronounces is imbued with ideals. He is humble, hard and incredibly faithful. His boss, the sports director Scott Stricklin, credited the strong 2024 finish to the qualities of Napier – but he too knows that success can be ephemeral in Gainesville.

“I am really proud of him for reversing this storm, if you want,” said Stricklin in May during the show Paul Finebaum. “You and I know that when we start the season on August 30, it will be another storm of fire and we will all have to resist it.”

The evolution of the landscape has weakened the chests of the athletics department across the country while the sharing of income with players begins and that high transactions continue to pay the buyouts of heavy coach contracts. The two factors played a role for administrators and boosters, who gave Napier a larger safety net in the middle of last season. A takeover of $ 26 million has sparked deterrence, but his execution stay will only last as long as the winner.

The pressure is on. Florida was not classified in the top 25 at any time last season for the first time in 10 years, but entered pre-season as a legitimate team of Top-15. The second -year quarter of a year DJ Lagway is the centerpiece and it is able to transport the Gators in a berth in the playoffs – as long as it remains healthy.

He was authorized on June 3 to resume full participation in the team’s activities after recovering shoulder and heart injuries suffered during the offseason. The quarter 1 of the 2024 class came out of the bench last season and seduced analysts with an arm in an arm, launching 456 yards during his beginnings of week 2. He has an average of 10 yards per attempt – the second best in the country – and ranked third at 16.7 yards by completion during the year.

More importantly, Florida had a 6-0 sheet when he played an entire match and 2-5 when he did not do it.

“DJ will do his thing,” said Napier. “He will improve the first year of year 2. This is his team.

Four of the five Gators starting line players come back, including the American center Jake Slaughter. The reception corps is undoubtedly one of the 10 best in the country, with Eugene Wilson III Back and Aiden Mizell who should return after having missed most of last season with an LCA injury. The Gators also added the transfer of the UCLA J. Michael Sturdivant.

Defense should also show a marked improvement after a slow start last season. The coordinator Ron Roberts moved to the press box to call the games after a week of early leave, and the unit improved almost immediately. Florida granted 34 points per match to its first three FBS opponents, but only granted 13 per game in the four -season game victories sequence. Seven starters come back, from which Tyreak Sapp bags (seven bags, 13 plated for loss).

“I would say it is the best competitive depth that we have ever had,” said Napier.

Florida has won six of its last nine games, including its first victory in the bowl in five years. The Gators then signed the recruitment class No. 7 of 247Sports – their first top 10 since 2020. All players except six on the current list were recruited by Napier.

“There is power to have a veteran team, having played players who have helped create part of the momentum we have,” said Napier. “The difference n ° 1 in our team is the level of belief. The work begins to resonate.

“Dude, we were lucky to be quite good.”