Gators D'Antre Robinson and DJ Lagway hold up the Gasparilla Bowl trophy after Florida's win over Tulane on Dec. 20. (Photo: Jordan Herald/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Gators' Offseason Heats Up, Classic Opener Showcases SEC Hoops, More Tidbits
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators have been relatively quiet over the past couple of weeks since the football team's 33-8 win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The mid-December bowl game, plus a light schedule for the basketball programs over the holiday break, left a void for Gators fans. However, that is about to change.
The transfer portal officially closed Dec. 28, but the off-the-field news will continue for the UF football program in the coming weeks as head coach Billy Napier reviews what went right and what went wrong in 2024, and makes adjustments the way he did a year ago.
Lots of questions about what those changes will be at the moment. What will Napier do to replace departed co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong? Is Napier going to continue to have a crucial role in calling plays? What is the team's revamped front office going to look like with revenue sharing on the horizon? And on a larger scale, what are the future plans for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that have been discussed the past couple of years?
Questions, questions, questions. Few definitive answers as of now, but with Gators football never out of the news and the UF men's basketball team's season heating up, here are some recent headlines of interest to Florida fans on the first Sunday of 2025:
BIG-TIME TIP
I opened this blog by writing mostly about football, but I want to start here with men's basketball. The Southeastern Conference is clearly the best league in the country this season and if the Gators' SEC opener at Kentucky on Saturday is any indication, we are going to be in for a wild ride. Yes, the Gators lost 106-100, but it was an excellent game and Tuesday night's visit to the O'Dome by No. 1 Tennessee (14-0) should have the Rowdy Reptiles in fine form. The Vols opened conference play on Saturday with a 24-point home win over Arkansas. My colleague Chris Harry was at Rupp Arena and ICYMI, filed this story on the Gators' performance and focus coming out of their first loss of the season. Meanwhile, if you are like me and tend to seek out the rival's perspective off a big game, here is a column by John Clay of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader. Check out what ESPN play-by-play man Dan Shulman posted on X after the game ...
UF FOOTBALL'S HOT-STOVE LEAGUE
The Gators return to action this week with the start of offseason conditioning drills, the first step toward the 2025 season. But as mentioned above, much of the news will come off the field until spring camp starts up in March. Here are some of the most recent updates:
—According to a report from Zach Abolverdi of On3.com, the Gators will make multiple hires in the front office and create an in-house marketing department to help players receive more authentic NIL deals.
—The Gators have started interviewing candidates for front-office roles via a report from Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel, including former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell and Rick Mueller, a former front office executive with the Eagles.
—Florida Victorious announced the hiring of Bri Wade as Vice President of Marketing. Good luck to Bri, who came to UF from Louisiana where she was part of Napier's recruiting staff. Wade was director of recruiting/external engagement in 2024 and part of Florida's recruiting staff for the past three seasons.
—Former Gators receiver Andy Jean, who was unable to gain significant playing time at Florida, has signed with Pittsburgh reports Pittsburgh Sports Now ...
—A look at how Florida's six signees in the Under-Armour All-American Game fared on Thursday from John Garcia Jr. of Rivals.com. Incoming freshman receiver Vernell Brown III drew rave reviews heading into the game writes Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel.
— Good to see Gators cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. getting close to a return to action after a season-ending injury. He has accepted an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl ...
SHOWTIME
The latest episode of "This is ... The Swamp" is online and available to stream. Check out another drop from our talented video team ...
The mid-December bowl game, plus a light schedule for the basketball programs over the holiday break, left a void for Gators fans. However, that is about to change.
The transfer portal officially closed Dec. 28, but the off-the-field news will continue for the UF football program in the coming weeks as head coach Billy Napier reviews what went right and what went wrong in 2024, and makes adjustments the way he did a year ago.
Lots of questions about what those changes will be at the moment. What will Napier do to replace departed co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong? Is Napier going to continue to have a crucial role in calling plays? What is the team's revamped front office going to look like with revenue sharing on the horizon? And on a larger scale, what are the future plans for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that have been discussed the past couple of years?
Questions, questions, questions. Few definitive answers as of now, but with Gators football never out of the news and the UF men's basketball team's season heating up, here are some recent headlines of interest to Florida fans on the first Sunday of 2025:
BIG-TIME TIP
I opened this blog by writing mostly about football, but I want to start here with men's basketball. The Southeastern Conference is clearly the best league in the country this season and if the Gators' SEC opener at Kentucky on Saturday is any indication, we are going to be in for a wild ride. Yes, the Gators lost 106-100, but it was an excellent game and Tuesday night's visit to the O'Dome by No. 1 Tennessee (14-0) should have the Rowdy Reptiles in fine form. The Vols opened conference play on Saturday with a 24-point home win over Arkansas. My colleague Chris Harry was at Rupp Arena and ICYMI, filed this story on the Gators' performance and focus coming out of their first loss of the season. Meanwhile, if you are like me and tend to seek out the rival's perspective off a big game, here is a column by John Clay of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader. Check out what ESPN play-by-play man Dan Shulman posted on X after the game ...
I've been doing this 30 years. I can count on one hand where both the game and the environment were as good as they were today at Rupp for Kentucky-Florida. College basketball at its best.
— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) January 4, 2025
UF FOOTBALL'S HOT-STOVE LEAGUE
The Gators return to action this week with the start of offseason conditioning drills, the first step toward the 2025 season. But as mentioned above, much of the news will come off the field until spring camp starts up in March. Here are some of the most recent updates:
—According to a report from Zach Abolverdi of On3.com, the Gators will make multiple hires in the front office and create an in-house marketing department to help players receive more authentic NIL deals.
—The Gators have started interviewing candidates for front-office roles via a report from Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel, including former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell and Rick Mueller, a former front office executive with the Eagles.
—Florida Victorious announced the hiring of Bri Wade as Vice President of Marketing. Good luck to Bri, who came to UF from Louisiana where she was part of Napier's recruiting staff. Wade was director of recruiting/external engagement in 2024 and part of Florida's recruiting staff for the past three seasons.
Please help us welcome Bri Wade as our new Vice President of Marketing. Bri's marketing background and extensive knowledge of college sports is invaluable to us and we're excited about the future!
— Florida Victorious (@Fl_Victorious) January 6, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/Z4FhBkVS9m pic.twitter.com/pllZmsRLhL
—Former Gators receiver Andy Jean, who was unable to gain significant playing time at Florida, has signed with Pittsburgh reports Pittsburgh Sports Now ...
Pitt Lands Florida Transfer, Former 4-Star WR Andy Jean. https://t.co/rLlYS9MOOq @1typeandy @GatorsFB @PaulZeise pic.twitter.com/k118mhIfl2
— Pittsburgh Sports Now (@PghSportsNow) January 4, 2025
—A look at how Florida's six signees in the Under-Armour All-American Game fared on Thursday from John Garcia Jr. of Rivals.com. Incoming freshman receiver Vernell Brown III drew rave reviews heading into the game writes Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel.
— Good to see Gators cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. getting close to a return to action after a season-ending injury. He has accepted an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl ...
Lockdown 🔒
— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) January 2, 2025
CB Jason Marshall Jr. (@jasonjr3_) from @GatorsFB has officially accepted his invite to the 100th East-West #ShrineBowl!#GoGators | #ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT 😎 pic.twitter.com/wt65LD2nvA
SHOWTIME
The latest episode of "This is ... The Swamp" is online and available to stream. Check out another drop from our talented video team ...
ICYMI 🚨
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) January 4, 2025
A new episode of This Is… The Swamp is now streaming 🐊https://t.co/uciF3glGUr
Presented By @wellsfargo pic.twitter.com/FlGU4e8zBP
Players Mentioned
DB
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DJ Lagway Postgame Press Conference 10-18-25
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