Billy Napier pleased with new additions for Florida 

There is a lot of young talent that will have the opportunity to take the field this season for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. But first, the majority of them have to get through the growing pains associated with playing at such a high level. 

During the Gators’ fall camps, some players have shined, while a few others still have some work to do. On Friday, Napier addressed why he believes some of the younger players are experiencing growing pains in the fall camp and revealed whether he is disappointed in them so far. 

“I’m not disappointed with any of the players that we’ve added to our team. I’m very pleased,” said Napier. “I think the evaluations were spot on. I think the body types are what you would look for. And a lot of these guys are gonna have to play. There’s a lot of height, length, and speed out there.  

“I think, for the most part, they got character, and it’s just gonna be a matter of taking advantage of each meeting, each walkthrough, each practice. And, you know, young players, they haven’t felt the urgency, right? They don’t quite know what it’s like on 3rd down in the Swamp and some of these venues we have to play in on the road. So that’s coming. In the meantime, I think our veteran players are trying to educate them on; hey, look, it’s going to get thick here pretty soon. So, we got to make the most of each opportunity.  

Last season, Florida was a middle-of-the-road team, and that was with a top-five pick in this year’s NFL draft Anthony Richardson leading the team at quarterback. So it goes without saying there is work that needs to be done in order for them to improve from their 6-7 record that they finished with, in the past two seasons. Still, before transitioning on to the next topic, Napier made sure to give his young players this thumbs up and vote confidence. 

“Overall, very pleased with every young player out there.” 

Heading into 2023, the Gators are a walking enigma. With the level of talent they possess, they could very well be one of the top teams in the SEC this season, or they could find themselves struggling for the third year in a row to qualify for a bowl game. A lot of that would depend on what happens in the fall camp with their young players. And as it currently stands, Napier is giving his young players the opportunity to grow and realize what awaits them this season as members of the Florida program. 

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