Billy Napier has a lot riding on this season. He met with the media recently at SEC Media Days to talk about the 2023 season. One aspect of his address portrayed more than anything else was his constant belief in his team. The second-year Gator coach out of Cookeville, Tennessee has high hopes for his talented squad in 2023.
Billy Napier at SEC Media Days 2023
The Transfer Portal and Returning Talent
During the SEC Media Days, Napier talked about the transfer portal. This off-season for the Gators was one for the books when it came to the portal. UF did a good job acquiring talent but lost some talented players as well. One of the most notable changes was at quarterback. Graham Mertz transferred from the prestigious University of Wisconsin where he started for three years.
In Napier’s discussion of roster changes, he talked about how 93 percent of the team was with them in January. The influx of leadership and veteran experience is going to be a big factor for the team. Napier was very excited to express the fact that he loves what kind of a team he has for this year.
Expanding on that, he discussed the youth that the Gators brought in during the off-season. The combination of young players and transfer players makes this a very diverse group coming into the 2023 season. Napier made it very clear that the level of competition and detail is at a higher bar this off-season than ever. The clear and distinct consistency for what this team is looking to bring in 2023 could easily make them stand out.
Outside Commotion
Napier spoke a little bit about criticism for this coming season. He made it clear to everyone that this team won’t let anything spiral from outside commotion. This coming season is a highly anticipated one, but Napier made an effort to ensure everyone that this team has its head on their shoulder and that outside criticism won’t have any effect on how this team runs.
The Quarterback Battle
While no starting quarterback has been named, Napier got the opportunity to shine some light on the quarterback battle between Graham Mertz and Jack Miller. Furthermore, he talks about how Mertz has impressed him with his leadership. Even though Mertz has impressed Napier, there’s still a decision to be made on who will be behind the line on August 31st against Utah.
Napier said Miller has shined more ever since Mertz got in. On top of that, Max Brown was even mentioned, and Napier weighed in on that as well. Regardless, the Quarterback talks for the Gators will continue to be a hot topic up until the final decision is made.
Season Opener at Utah
Later in his address, Napier was handed a question about the season opener. This year the Gators open on the road against a highly touted opponent in the Utah Utes. After last year, the Utes will be looking for blood against the Gators. Along with redemption, Utah will also be looking to keep their home game win streak alive.
In his response, Napier seemed enthusiastic about the challenge ahead. He also mentions how the place isn’t exactly a factor, it’s more about the brand of football the team plays. Utah especially in the past years has been a very good defensively structured program. The Gators will have to prepare for a low-scoring game where turnovers will play a huge factor.
Furthermore, Utah will hope to continue its home winning streak alive on Thursday, August 31st at Rice-Eccles Field. Ever since Covid, Utah hasn’t lost a home game. Utah’s streak is up to 14 games and hopefully more this season. The Gators will look to stop that streak at 14 on Thursday night.
Belief and Confidence
For Napier, the SEC media day was an opportunity to show the media what the 2023 season is going to look like. The sixth-year head coach heading into his second year at UF showed his belief and confidence in his team.
After a tough first season as head coach, you’d think Napier would show doubt, but he barely did that. His consistent talk about what his team has to offer and how much work they have put in shows how he isn’t fazed about how last season ended. The level of belief in where his team can go and what they can achieve was prevalent in his speech at SEC media days.
Napier clearly defines what it means to turn a page in a book. This coming season holds a lot of questions, but after hearing Billy Napier at SEC media days 2023 you can see he’s not worried about what might have happened last season. The confidence and belief in what he can put on the field shows that this team is ready to forget last year.
Photo courtesy:Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
