Billy Napier wouldn’t have said it publicly before the season started, but if you could get him to drop his coaching facade and be honest, you probably could have gotten him to admit that he would be happy with a 8-5.
After seeing his team lose home games against Miami And Texas A&M to start the year 1-2, he may have even settled for less.
Turns out he didn’t have to. With a dominant 33-8 victory against Tulane In the Gasparilla Bowl, Napier’s Gators ended the season on a four-game winning streak to finish 8-5. This streak included a victory over Ole Mademoiselle which eliminated the Rebels from the playoffs and a victory over LSU who drove the final nail into the Tigers’ disappointing 2024 season.
Three of that of Florida losses came to teams in the College football Playoffs, a fact that might seem like a consolation to some. But in Gainesville, where the expectation is to compete for playoff spots, it’s a reminder of how far the program has to go.
A bowl win against a short-handed Tulane team – missing a key player, including the starting quarterback Darian Mensah — doesn’t prove the Gators are ready to fight. Still, there’s a lot more optimism heading into this offseason than there was a year ago.
Why am I convinced that Napier would have gone 8-5 before the start of the year? Because Florida went 5-7 last season after finishing 6-7 in 2022. Napier entered 2024 with one of the hottest spots in the country. After a 24-point home loss to Miami and a 13-point loss to Texas A&M, many thought his chances of making it through the season were slim — especially with the back half of the schedule looming.
Things didn’t get any easier with the departure of the quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending injury in the loss to Tennessee. But that misfortune had a silver lining: It opened the door for DJ Lagway, a five-star freshman and No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2024. Lagway’s season had its ups and downs, but his talent and potential were obvious. His commitment to return next season also solidified Napier’s job security.
This stability is already bearing fruit. Florida closed out the early signing period with the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class and landed key transfers, including wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who should add a valuable deep threat to the passing game next year .
It’s just one win in the Gasparilla Bowl, but the mood in Gainesville is undeniably brighter as the holidays approach. This year, when Gators fans wish each other a Happy New Year, they might really mean it.