Billy Napier's Wide Receivers

gatorplank

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Jul 28, 2017
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I found a not so good trend. It probably will be used against Napier on the trail I imagine, but it is worth discussing. One of our critiques of Mullen's offense was he spread the ball out too much to the WR group rather than having 1 or 2 guys amass a lot of catches like Bama does. That helps in WR recruiting.

Well...look at the distribution of catches for Napier's WRs. Got this from ESPN stats. Each line represents a player and their stats. The bottom line represents the total.

2021:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
37 417 11.3 46 1
15 373 24.9 52 4
21 295 14.0 55 5
23 295 12.8 46 2
22 287 13.0 55 1
24 209 8.7 35 0
13 191 14.7 51 1
8 141 17.6 26 1
10 137 13.7 27 4
13 127 9.8 32 0
11 103 9.4 17 0
14 75 5.4 10 1
3 51 17.0 23 0
5 50 10.0 15 0
3 25 8.3 16 0
1 4 4.0 4 0
1 1 1.0 1 1
1 1 1.0 1 0
226 2,782 12.3 55 21

2020:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
28 364 13.0 36 4
20 360 18.0 51 4
23 334 14.5 78 1
12 190 15.8 52 1
16 170 10.6 38 1
16 153 9.6 36 0
13 133 10.2 43 1
8 124 15.5 46 1
13 120 9.2 27 2
9 106 11.8 25 2
4 82 20.5 34 0
6 57 9.5 17 1
4 41 10.3 13 1
2 21 10.5 13 0
2 17 8.5 9 1
1 10 10.0 10 0
1 5 5.0 5 0
1 5 5.0 5 0
1 2 2.0 2 0
180 2,294 12.0 78 20

2019:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
60 906 15.1 74 10
34 445 13.1 36 1
25 405 16.2 51 0
28 344 12.3 53 4
21 279 13.3 28 1
15 178 11.9 43 0
15 100 6.7 24 4
11 97 8.8 19 2
6 79 13.2 24 1
6 77 12.8 22 0
7 74 10.6 16 0
10 70 7.0 31 1
10 67 6.7 34 1
6 60 10.0 19 1
4 38 9.5 13 0
3 37 12.3 16 0
3 29 9.7 17 1
1 11 11.0 11 0
1 10 10.0 10 0
1 8 8.0 8 0
268 3,314 12.4 74 27

2018:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
40 608 15.2 53 10
44 525 11.9 47 4
20 349 17.5 64 3
19 325 17.1 53 4
25 229 9.2 30 2
12 212 17.7 79 1
12 166 13.8 41 1
16 125 7.8 19 1
6 69 11.5 45 0
6 67 11.2 27 0
5 56 11.2 20 0
3 43 14.3 20 0
6 38 6.3 18 1
2 31 15.5 27 0
2 29 14.5 26 0
1 7 7.0 7 0
1 -1 -1.0 0 0
220 2,878 13.1 79 27

What the data says is Napier has had a two year drought of having a WR with at least 500 yards of receiving. Only 3 WRs eclipsed the 500 yard mark in Napier's 4 years of coaching at UL. Only 1 WR sniffed the 1,000 yard mark.

I think this has to change if Napier is going to recruit WRs at an elite level at UF. He has to find a way to feature 1 or 2 guys every year like Bama has done.
 

LongTooth

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If you look at how many yards they racked up in 2019, almost 7,000 altogether, the notables included a WR just shy of 1,000 yards, and a 1,000+ yard rusher.

Don’t know which key contributors were gone this year but it seems they ran far fewer plays on offense and relied on the defense more to keep games under control.

GNFP liked his schemes and said better athletes will get a chance to shine.
 

gatorplank

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Jul 28, 2017
672
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If you look at how many yards they racked up in 2019, almost 7,000 altogether, the notables included a WR just shy of 1,000 yards, and a 1,000+ yard rusher.

Don’t know which key contributors were gone this year but it seems they ran far fewer plays on offense and relied on the defense more to keep games under control.

GNFP liked his schemes and said better athletes will get a chance to shine.

I watched it. I like the style of offense. It looks fun and creative, but there has to be a way to feature one or two WRs so we can get some guys drafted. What the distribution looks like the 1st season will be important IMO. If it looks anything like UL in 2020 or 2021 I don't think many elite WRs will be looking our way.
 

LongTooth

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I watched it. I like the style of offense. It looks fun and creative, but there has to be a way to feature one or two WRs so we can get some guys drafted. What the distribution looks like the 1st season will be important IMO. If it looks anything like 2020 or 2021 I don't think many WRs will be looking our way.

GNFP noted he runs lots of two WR sets. It needs to be two guys who can put secondaries on their heels. He noted athletes who are sharper, quicker route runners will have opportunities to make big plays. For their two TE sets too….

It also helped that the qb was a gamer and could make some plays under pressure. AR fits that mold and is a better athlete. If he can settle into the scheme and get good coaching he can do something better than the 2019 Cajuns qb who was fourth leading rusher on the team while throwing for 3,000 yards.
 

gatorplank

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Jul 28, 2017
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GNFP noted he runs lots of two WR sets. It needs to be two guys who can put secondaries on their heels. He noted athletes who are sharper, quicker route runners will have opportunities to make big plays. For their two TE sets too….

It also helped that the qb was a gamer and could make some plays under pressure. AR fits that mold and is a better athlete. If he can settle into the scheme and get good coaching he can do something better than the 2019 Cajuns qb who was fourth leading rusher on the team while throwing for 3,000 yards.

2019 was Louisiana's best offensive season IMO. They were top 10 in the country in yards per play. And then in 2020 and 2021 the defense improved. So, Billy's got guys on both sides of the ball that are good at what they do.

Billy only needs 2 guys to stand above the rest at WR. And right now we've got Henderson on the roster who should be elite with the right coaching. And then we need 1 more guy to step up. Maybe Burke, Reynolds, or Whittimore could be the 2nd guy.
 

Loogis

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I would love those stats if I was trying to sell my school to a receiver. Are you comparing to Alabama? What about the other schools in the SEC? Those aren’t really that bad of numbers. I would push those long yard plays to demonstrate the explosiveness.
 

gatorplank

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I would love those stats if I was trying to sell my school to a receiver. Are you comparing to Alabama? What about the other schools in the SEC? Those aren’t really that bad of numbers. I would push those long yard plays to demonstrate the explosiveness.

I don't think it is all bad. Napier definitely throws the ball, but he's not getting WRs drafted like he has OL and RBs. Being able to point to a WR who had a really successful career in your program helps in recruiting. Does it not? Who would you point to that Napier's coached as a WR and say, "See look at what Napier's offense can do for you to help you make it to the pros?" At this point there is really nothing you can point a recruit to. There is no WR on UL's roster that has put together a 2 or 3 year portfolio that leads to that player getting drafted even at UF.

I don't think those stats are immutable moving forward, but the best way to predict the future is to look at the past. I could totally understand why Copeland, CJ Smith, Gibson, and Bond went elsewhere. They have to assume their stat line will look similar to Napier's other WRs in this offense until proven otherwise. If Henderson puts a 1,000 yard season in the books next year, and another receiver has at least 600-700 yards, then I can see Napier flipping the script going into the 2023 recruiting class.
 
Last edited:

gatorplank

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Having watched the GNFP film study of the Sun Belt Championship I don't think this is boring ground and pound. But I think our run game will trend towards the top of the SEC. UL had a really good ground game. They produced OL that were SEC caliber and draft worthy, and Juluke really coached up the RBs. He was 2019 RB coach of the year according to some publication. I love how sometimes UL ran from the pistol to set up play action and the downhill running game. And other times they motion the RB from the pistol next to the QB to run the classic read option, which will be amazing with AR and Bowman. Our RBs and OL are really going to shine in this offense.

My concerns hinge around QB and WRs. Napier will get AR, so if talent was the issue at UL regarding the QB position that will be fixed right away based on what he is inheriting. I'd like to see completion percentage higher than the 60% UL usually put up in the Sun Belt with Levi Lewis. Again AR might be able to put up a higher completion percentage.

Napier also gets Henderson, Reynolds, Burke, and Whittimore. That is not the best WR core in the SEC, but it is good enough to have a passing game worth respecting if Napier is competent as a playcaller, which I think he is. We have 1 guy on the roster that Bama and Clemson wanted, and that is enough to get the train rolling as far as WR recruiting goes. But we have to feature Henderson if we are going to go head to head with Saban or Riley for the best WRs in the state of Florida.
 
Last edited:

neteng

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Wow...this thread sucks. This is almost as bad as predicting a coaching staff based on who is following who on twitter. How about just sit back, stfu and let the new coach actually prove he will have trouble recruiting this or that before creating a narrative that doesn't even exist yet. Geesh...calm your titties.
 

jdh5484

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NOLAGATOR

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I found a not so good trend. It probably will be used against Napier on the trail I imagine, but it is worth discussing. One of our critiques of Mullen's offense was he spread the ball out too much to the WR group rather than having 1 or 2 guys amass a lot of catches like Bama does. That helps in WR recruiting.

Well...look at the distribution of catches for Napier's WRs. Got this from ESPN stats. Each line represents a player and their stats. The bottom line represents the total.

2021:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
37 417 11.3 46 1
15 373 24.9 52 4
21 295 14.0 55 5
23 295 12.8 46 2
22 287 13.0 55 1
24 209 8.7 35 0
13 191 14.7 51 1
8 141 17.6 26 1
10 137 13.7 27 4
13 127 9.8 32 0
11 103 9.4 17 0
14 75 5.4 10 1
3 51 17.0 23 0
5 50 10.0 15 0
3 25 8.3 16 0
1 4 4.0 4 0
1 1 1.0 1 1
1 1 1.0 1 0
226 2,782 12.3 55 21

2020:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
28 364 13.0 36 4
20 360 18.0 51 4
23 334 14.5 78 1
12 190 15.8 52 1
16 170 10.6 38 1
16 153 9.6 36 0
13 133 10.2 43 1
8 124 15.5 46 1
13 120 9.2 27 2
9 106 11.8 25 2
4 82 20.5 34 0
6 57 9.5 17 1
4 41 10.3 13 1
2 21 10.5 13 0
2 17 8.5 9 1
1 10 10.0 10 0
1 5 5.0 5 0
1 5 5.0 5 0
1 2 2.0 2 0
180 2,294 12.0 78 20

2019:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
60 906 15.1 74 10
34 445 13.1 36 1
25 405 16.2 51 0
28 344 12.3 53 4
21 279 13.3 28 1
15 178 11.9 43 0
15 100 6.7 24 4
11 97 8.8 19 2
6 79 13.2 24 1
6 77 12.8 22 0
7 74 10.6 16 0
10 70 7.0 31 1
10 67 6.7 34 1
6 60 10.0 19 1
4 38 9.5 13 0
3 37 12.3 16 0
3 29 9.7 17 1
1 11 11.0 11 0
1 10 10.0 10 0
1 8 8.0 8 0
268 3,314 12.4 74 27

2018:

REC YDS AVG LNG TD
40 608 15.2 53 10
44 525 11.9 47 4
20 349 17.5 64 3
19 325 17.1 53 4
25 229 9.2 30 2
12 212 17.7 79 1
12 166 13.8 41 1
16 125 7.8 19 1
6 69 11.5 45 0
6 67 11.2 27 0
5 56 11.2 20 0
3 43 14.3 20 0
6 38 6.3 18 1
2 31 15.5 27 0
2 29 14.5 26 0
1 7 7.0 7 0
1 -1 -1.0 0 0
220 2,878 13.1 79 27

What the data says is Napier has had a two year drought of having a WR with at least 500 yards of receiving. Only 3 WRs eclipsed the 500 yard mark in Napier's 4 years of coaching at UL. Only 1 WR sniffed the 1,000 yard mark.

I think this has to change if Napier is going to recruit WRs at an elite level at UF. He has to find a way to feature 1 or 2 guys every year like Bama has done.


REALLY? He was dealing with 2-3* Receivers. His QB was OK at best. And if the WR had mega yards y'all would say "What about the running game"

Let's at least let him make it to the O&B Game.
 

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