Dooley’s Dozen: Grading Billy Napier’s 2nd year with Florida football
We are through two seasons of the great Billy Napier Experiment and so far the results are spotty at best.
We love how Napier pushes these young men to be a part of their community and how well they are doing in school.
But we also know that coaches are judged by their records and there is nothing to write home to Chatsworth, Georgia, about.
You’re tired of hearing about his 11-14 record so far and we know you can’t blame the guy for that first season. But it is time for the grades of his second season and we’ll see if he moves on to the next grade
Culture: B-
I know that Napier feels good about the players he has recruited and there is no question the Gators talk the right talk. But isn’t part of the culture having your teammate’s back and not letting him down? When you commit 595 yards worth of penalties, the culture is still not polished.
Play calling: B-
I have been trying to figure out why the fans who want Napier to give up calling plays want him to give up calling the plays. Do you want him more focused on other things or just don’t think he does it well? Florida’s offense wasn’t the problem last year, although the abandonment of the running game was strange at times.
Quarterback Room: B+
Graham Mertz was asked to be a leader and accomplished that goal. He had a really nice year, way better than anyone but Napier expected. It seems that Florida could have had a backup more ready when Max Brown was pressed into service. And whatever happened to Jack Miller?
Running Backs Room: B
It’s difficult to evaluate this group because I’m not sure Florida got everything it could out of this stable of running backs. And now Trevor Etienne is gone and he will be missed (especially those runs out of bounds). There should be little concern about the running backs.
Offensive Line Room: C-
It was a mess all season. And yet, the offensive line helped produce an offense that averaged 6.09 yards a play. Of course, they did get Mertz beaten up, but they also were a top-40 team in third-down conversions. There were too many players forced to play out of their ideal positions.
Fan Engagement: B
The fans were there. You saw the sellouts. Imagine how crazy it will be next year when Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and LSU (among others) come to town. The staff is basically putting its collective head down and going to work, but there could be more than the bare minimum offered.
Player Development: C+
It’s kind of hard to tell because so many of these players are about to have their second offseason. We have seen players get better as the season has gone along and we know transfers like Ricky Pearsall and O’Cyrus Torrence got better when they were here. But it is still too soon to tell.
Defensive Line Room: D
Florida has had four straight defenses that have been historically bad. And this is a line-of-scrimmage league. You do the cipherin’. So many pass plays where the opposing quarterback could scan the field, answer a text and then fire it downfield. This area has to be a portal priority.
Linebackers Room: C
Obviously the injuries at this spot were a problem, as was the lack of depth in the first place. Florida needs leaders at this sport, but also guys you can run in and out of the lineup. I am looking forward to seeing what the young backers look like with another year of weight training.
Secondary Room: D-
I really thought this was going to be a strength of this team with Jason Marshall and transfers and talented freshmen. Instead, Florida led the nation in allowing the most plays of 40 or more yards. I know, I don’t need to tell you. You lived it. And will somebody intercept a pass out there?
Special Teams Room: D+
I am way too hard on special teams and here is why – I learned of their importance from Urban Meyer. That said, Florida did have an excellent punter and field goal kicker. They just rarely did anything else on special teams unless it was bad (like too many or not enough players on the field). If it’s one-third of the game, treat it that way.
Overall: D+
Bottom line – the Gators didn’t make a bowl when there are 82 spots available. That’s not good. Florida is in a rut and I don’t get paid enough to know the answers out of it. Attention to detail needs to become a way of life rather than an idle promise. This program needs to rediscover the ability to finish games. You know, the way they used to.
Read more
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Social media reacts to departure of running back Trevor Etienne
Tracking Florida’s transfer portal departures following 2023 season
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