Florida Gators: Listed As 1 Team Under Pressure In 2024

The Florida Gators finished with a 5-7 record in college football last season. Billy Napier, the head coach of the program, is in hot water to get this program heading in the right direction. Florida will have a soft schedule to start the season, but they face a gauntlet of excellent teams once the calendar turns November.

The Florida Gators hope to compete in a loaded SEC Conference. Florida wants to see improvement this season. It will be interesting to see if they accomplish that or not.

If the Florida Gators do not finish at least 8-4 this season, could the fans call for Napier’s job? It will be interesting to see what happens.

Pro Football Focus Lists the Florida Gators as 1-of-5 Teams Under Pressure In 2024

Mitch Kaiser of Pro Football Focus wrote about five different college football teams that are under pressure this season in college football. One of those teams he listed was the Florida Gators. Kaiser said:

“There might not be a head coach on a hotter seat than Billy Napier.

Whether expectations have been fair or not, Napier’s teams haven’t lived up to their preseason hype in his first two years at Florida. The Gators have gone 11-14 in his tenure and finished with a disappointing 0.067 EPA per play in 2023, which ranked 41st in the country.

The 2024 season will present an incredible challenge for the Gators, who may have the hardest schedule in college football, going through the normal SEC gauntlet in addition to facing Miami, UCF and Florida State. Winning six games could be a significant challenge.

Florida has the talent to exceed expectations, though, with quarterback Graham Mertz coming back after a breakout season (77.9 PFF passing grade). Montrell Johnson Jr. and Eugene Wilson III, both of whom earned 80.0-plus PFF overall grades, are two top weapons looking to build on big years, as well.

Defensively, the Gators will need improvements out of cornerstone secondary pieces Jordan Castle and Jason Marshall Jr. Each recorded three pass breakups in 2023, which leads all returning defenders on the roster.

If Napier can develop his players the same way he did at Louisiana, he will undoubtedly bring Florida back to relevance before long.”

Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz needs to play better than he has in the past. In the SEC, there are a lot of talented quarterbacks and Florida is at a massive disadvantage at one of the most important positions in football. Would Napier bench him at some point this season?

It remains to be seen what happens this season with the Florida Gators and how much they will grow up. They need to get off to a fast start this season when they open the season against the Miami Hurricanes.