Gators head coach Billy Napier speaks at the SEC Football Media Days on Wednesday afternoon in Dallas. (Photo: Kevin Camps/UAA Communications)
Napier Exudes Confidence in Gators, Mertz and McClain, Plus More from SEC Football Media Days
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
DALLAS — The Gators wrapped up their stay here at SEC Football Media Days and departed the Omni Hotel around 5:30 p.m. ET.
Head coach Billy Napier, quarterback Graham Mertz, running back Montrell Johnson Jr. and linebacker Shemar James stuffed a lot into their Texas trip. They answered hundreds of questions from the media. They rode a (fake) Longhorn. They took turns playing EA College Football 25 in their holding room, with Mertz battling UF Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel in a spirited back and forth.
Florida opens the season Aug. 31 at home against Miami and the date seemed much closer on Wednesday.
Napier, meeting with a group of local and national reporters prior to his appearance on the main stage, is confident in the team he has built heading into his third season in charge of the program.
"I love our team. I really like what I've observed,'' Napier said. "For the first time, we've got some stability. The roster's kind of stabilized. I think we've got competitive depth. There's credible leadership at the player level — 17 starters coming back. We've got close to 41,000 snaps of experience. I've got confidence in what I've observed. I think some of the changes that we've made in the offseason have been impactful. This group's excited to play."
Coming off a 5-7 season and 11-14 in his first two seasons, Napier arrived in Dallas sure to face some difficult questions about the program's status and his future.
We'll have more later this week, but here are some of the most relevant topics he addressed on Thursday: THE SCHEDULE
The Gators have the most difficult strength of schedule in the country in 2024, not the ideal recipe for a program seeking to rebound from five consecutive losses to end last season. Napier was asked what the Gators are doing to prepare to face such a difficult task.
"I think there's a narrative about the schedule. I think what we've learned — and I think every coach in our league will tell you — you've got to break things up into short periods of time and focus on what's next," Napier said. "We've got 10 more days of this training block, 45 days out from the opener. We're transitioning to training camp. And then literally about having the ability to reset every week, having the self-discipline to prepare Sunday to Saturday regardless of the outcome. Erase the board. Ignore the noise. Don't believe the hype. Do it again, and do that consistently. We've played in a lot of close games. We haven't been able to close some of those out. I think that's what we've got to leverage our experience." GETTING OVER HUMP
Florida struggled to finish strong a season ago and it cost the Gators, especially in the second half of the season when a 5-2 record turned into 5-7. Napier was asked what's it going to take for the Gators to find the winning formula.
"I think it's just ultimately, every detail matters. Smart group. We've got a group that's been in those battles. They've remembered that play. They remember that possession. One more score here, one more stop here, one more field goal here, a little bit better situational awareness here,'' Napier said. "I think over the history of this game, experience matters, right? We're blessed that we've got a good group coming back. For the first time, we've got competitive depth to go with it. I think Year 3, our roster's starting to look like what it should look like." CORMANI MCCLAIN UPDATE
Transfer cornerback Cormani McClain is a gifted player. That is why the Gators recruited him. That is why Colorado coach Deion Sanders, arguably the greatest cornerback in the game's history, signed him. That is why the Gators gave McClain a second chance when his stay at Colorado ended.
Recent reports suggesting McClain had already worn out his welcome at UF are not true according to Napier.
"He's doing fine. I think a lot of this has been blown out of proportion,'' Napier said. "I think he's a young player. Obviously, we're well aware of his history. Cormani's a local kid from Lakeland. He's got relationships with players on our team. We run a tight ship. There's structure, there's routine, there's discipline, there's accountability. It's hard these days. You're in the minority if you show up in June, much less middle of June, because you're a couple weeks later. It is what it is. He's had a great week so far this week. He's gained 10 pounds. He's learning expectations. He's learning culture. He's doing just fine. He's going to be OK." MERTZ THE MAN
Quarterback Graham Mertz opted to return for his final season of eligibility and provides the Gators with one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country. Mertz has made 43 career starts and Napier considers his return perhaps the most important reason for optimism in 2024. Graham Mertz aboard a longhorn.
"He's earned the respect of the players. He's earned the respect of the staff," Napier said. "You think about his journey last year, he shows up, a lot of unknowns, a lot of doubts, a lot of what's his role on the team going to be? Has no relationships with hardly anybody in the building.
"I just think he started in a different place. It's like a rookie in the NFL or a free agent that goes to a new team and now he's in Year 2. He earned the respect of his teammates on the field last year with his grit, his toughness, the way he competed, his production. He starts as the leader of the team. It's his team. He's doing a phenomenal job of leading from the front. This guy, he's pushing this team personally. He came back with a purpose." CONFIDENCE OVER CRITICISM
Napier spoke confidently about the Gators despite preseason projections putting the Gators in the lower half of the SEC. He was asked how he is creating confidence within the team and preventing the criticism from impacting his players.
"Change doesn't happen overnight. I think ultimately, timing is everything. When we took the job, what we inherited, the work that needed to be done. I think we're on schedule to some degree. Should we have won a couple of games down the stretch? Would I have liked to close some of those games out in the fourth quarter? Absolutely. The reality is, from a systems standpoint, process standpoint, in house, the culture, I think we've made tremendous progress. I think this offseason in particular, after observing things for two years, we made some changes that I think have really made a difference in the team. I'm with our team every day. Ultimately, that's why I've got confidence." TOPICAL TWEETS
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