Gators' Roster Rebuild Continues on Early Signing Day

Florida coach Billy Napier, following his first full recruiting cycle at UF, will unveil the first part of Florida's 2023 signing class on Wednesday. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)

Gators' Roster Rebuild Continues on Early Signing Day

Tuesday, December 20, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the wake of his most lopsided loss as Florida's head coach, Billy Napier's demeanor late Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas wasn't much different than it would have been if the Gators had won.

Gators fans over the past year have come to know Napier's steadiness as one of his trademarks, the foundation on which he stands.

Napier didn't budge from his stance while answering questions after his team's disappointing performance in the Las Vegas Bowl or what it meant heading into the offseason.

"I see opportunity. What I'm observing in [the locker room], I think, is a positive for the Gators," Napier said. "We've got to learn from these experiences. Not only the players but also all parts of our organization. Year one, there's a lot of work that's been done. That's day one to right now. We're fortunate that we get a little bit of a break here, and we'll come right back and work harder than ever."

Before the Gators scatter for a holiday break, they have important business to tend to on Wednesday during the Early Signing Day.

A year ago, Napier had just 10 days from his introductory press conference to the Early Signing Day in his first swing at the "talent acquisition business" as UF's coach. The Gators signed nine players in December and rounded out the class on the traditional National Signing Day two months later.

Gators head coach **Billy Napier** at his first Early Signing Day press conference in December 2021. (Photo: **Isabella Marley**/UAA Communications)

Four players signed in Napier's first two weeks on the job made meaningful contributions on defense: linebacker Shemar James, defensive lineman Chris McClellan, safety Kamari Wilson, and cornerback Devin Moore before his season-ending injury.

Besides true freshman running back Trevor Etienne, the Gators' top newcomers on offense in Napier's first season arrived via the transfer portal: running back Montrell Johnson Jr., receiver Ricky Pearsall and offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence. The Gators are likely to be more active in the transfer portal this year, coming off a 6-7 season and steady attrition since the end of the regular season.

Napier's approach hasn't changed as he attempts to rebuild a Florida program that is 12-17 in its last 29 games. It will take time and wise decisions.

"I think every decision you make from a personnel standpoint is an individual decision, each player, each staff member that you add to your team and organization,'' Napier said. "We've got a really in-depth, thorough process, not only to evaluate the physical traits but the character component, the other things that they bring to our team.

"Really excited about the group that we've got committed. As we add players, I think we'll evaluate the roster. Where do we need help? And we'll be intentional about adding good players to the team and good people to the team."

The Gators are on track to finish well above where they did in the final 2022 class rankings. As of Tuesday afternoon, Florida's 2023 class ranked No. 8 according to ESPN.com, ninth by On3.com, and 11th by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.

The rankings are fluid heading into Wednesday, but as of Tuesday, 11 of UF's commitments rank among the nation's top 250 players according to 247Sports.com's composite database. The Gators have not signed that many players in the top 250 since 2013.

Check FloridaGators.com on Wednesday as the national letters of intent start arriving at the Heavener Football Training Center, which was still under construction when Napier arrived last December. We will have a live blog that updates the signings as they become official.

You can also check out the following Twitter accounts for real-time updates: @coach_bnapier, @GatorsFB and @GatorsScott.