If there’s any silver lining to Napier, it’s the fact that we were probably the youngest team in all of college football last year. This is a much more experienced team. We now need to see whether that translates on the field.
It might…
We are the best we’ve been at quarterback in a decade.
We are the deepest we’ve been at linebacker in a decade.
We are the best we’ve been at running back in probably almost 20 years.
We are probably the deepest we’ve been on the DL since Chump. But pass rush is nonexistent.
The defensive backfield is pretty disastrous.
We have a talent at wide receiver that may be the best since the Spurrier era. But we have no depth there. We need a receiver from the portal so bad.
Edit: OL is disastrous.
So we’ll see…
QB? Maybe. Need to see the QB win games against good defenses. Hard to argue right now based on potential it is better than Trask, EJ, and AR in the room in 2020.
LB? Yes.
RB in 20 years? I have to see production. I'll take Perine/Scarlett, KT/Scarlett, Pierce and friends, until I see it. MJ is solid, but not sure he has the ceiling of some of the past. Beyond that, we are projecting on spring. Not saying it won't be, but I've heard the Lingard, Bowman, and other hype over the last decade only for it not to produce on Saturdays.
DL since Champ? Yes. Pass rush might be better, if not, I think it's an indictment from the top down. 3 years of recruiting classes and transfers needs to show.
DB? Again, year 3, indictment top down if not excellent this year with all that experience.
WR since Spurrier era? I'd take a step back. I'm not sure right now we match Jefferson, Swain, Grimes, Toney, Hammond, Cleveland, and Copeland (based on then potential like much of what we have currently) in 2018. I would really have to be crazy to say at this point it tops Percy, Baker, and Caldwell in '06 or the '08 guys.
With that said, I do take the same stance that Napier has done a lot more good off the field for things like housing, parking, recruiting (though still not where it
must be), etc. than many will credit.
That said, this year is put up or shut up. 0 and I mean 0 excuses not to be 6-1 at worst heading into Jacksonville if he is the coach people have been hyping. I've said it before, will say it again, Miami is bad, Samford should be fireable if a loss, aTm lost a lot from that '22 class and first SEC game on the road for Elko, MSU 3rd staff in 3 years, UCF should never win in the Swamp (
especially after a bye), and being 0-3 against Kentucky would be objectively failure.
Then you have to get at least 1 of LSU or FSU with the major rebuilds both programs are undertaking this season. And you can't be blown out a single time. I really don't thing that is asking a lot from a team with a 6th year QB, returning and adding a ton of "snaps" as Nape has used as a catchphrase for 2 off-seasons, and for a team with 7 home games.