Pulse on Napier

[Bait'n Gator]

You *******s that keep bringing up recruiting as a strong point for Napier should pay better attention. He's currently running 8th or 9th in the country and 4th in the conference and isn't in the top 2 for a single uncommitted top 100 recruit. He's only got UF in 2 or 3 uncommitted top 100 players top 5. Unless he gets a couple off the radar flips or some super secret surprise commits he'll be lucky to finish with a top 12 class and in the 5 to 7 range in the SEC. Basically right in Mullen and butters territory, just like his class last year.

The d line class could be elite and WR's look really good but absolute dog shyt at o line and no line backers or tight ends at all (2 of our worse position groups this year). He got his QB which is huge but struck out on his top 3 rb's and if the IMG kid picks LSU or bama in a couple weeks as expected will have missed on his top 4 db recruits.

Not a single top 50 player committed and only 3 in the 65 to 100 range according to on3. Not saying he can't finish with an great class but pretending this class is anything but mediocre for the university of Florida is just bull shyt.

 

[NOLAGATOR]

I’m on the fence for sure. He needs a passing coordinator and more than likely needs to give up OC/QB coach and focus on making better in game decisions.

Other than that I think he can be the guy, we will know a lot more next season for sure.

 

[grengadgy]

Oklahoma is 6-6 this year........

 

[oxrageous]

You *******s that keep bringing up recruiting as a strong point for Napier should pay better attention. He's currently running 8th or 9th in the country and 4th in the conference and isn't in the top 2 for a single uncommitted top 100 recruit. He's only got UF in 2 or 3 uncommitted top 100 players top 5. Unless he gets a couple off the radar flips or some super secret surprise commits he'll be lucky to finish with a top 12 class and in the 5 to 7 range in the SEC. Basically right in Mullen and butters territory, just like his class last year.

The d line class could be elite and WR's look really good but absolute dog shyt at o line and no line backers or tight ends at all (2 of our worse position groups this year). He got his QB which is huge but struck out on his top 3 rb's and if the IMG kid picks LSU or bama in a couple weeks as expected will have missed on his top 4 db recruits.

Not a single top 50 player committed and only 3 in the 65 to 100 range according to on3. Not saying he can't finish with an great class but pretending this class is anything but mediocre for the university of Florida is just bull shyt.

Maybe you haven't noticed our recruiting over the last 5+ years, but the University of Florida was no longer a draw for high school kids. Through hideous neglect, perception of the school was in the toilet. Top prospects weren't even VISITING the damn school. Under these circumstances, this is a dynamite class and will be even better in 2023. Even better than that in 2024. Proclaiming this class as "mediocre" is stupid, even for you.

This silly "he's fourth in conference" crapola that's supposed to be a clever smear can still put him in the Top 5 overall in the entire damn US of A. The SEC so dominates recruiting nationwide that coming in 4th in the SEC means you had an elite class. Come up with better hate, you're slipping.

I know you're eaten up with this hate (and have been since the announcement of his hire), but Napier isn't going anywhere for a long time so you may want to pace yourself or you'll risk keeling over. Perhaps if you show us on the doll where Napier touched you we can avoid the inevitable heart attack that will come from holding in so much anger.

 

[jdh5484]

You *******s that keep bringing up recruiting as a strong point for Napier should pay better attention. He's currently running 8th or 9th in the country and 4th in the conference and isn't in the top 2 for a single uncommitted top 100 recruit. He's only got UF in 2 or 3 uncommitted top 100 players top 5. Unless he gets a couple off the radar flips or some super secret surprise commits he'll be lucky to finish with a top 12 class and in the 5 to 7 range in the SEC. Basically right in Mullen and butters territory, just like his class last year.

The d line class could be elite and WR's look really good but absolute dog shyt at o line and no line backers or tight ends at all (2 of our worse position groups this year). He got his QB which is huge but struck out on his top 3 rb's and if the IMG kid picks LSU or bama in a couple weeks as expected will have missed on his top 4 db recruits.

Not a single top 50 player committed and only 3 in the 65 to 100 range according to on3. Not saying he can't finish with an great class but pretending this class is anything but mediocre for the university of Florida is just bull shyt.

If he finishes like you predict, Top 12 and 5th-7th in the SEC, then he would be a bust.

I'm hoping he pulls in a top 5-8 class and 4th in SEC. Which is OK for the first full class. Not acceptable going forward though.

The Portal in an unknown. Maybe he can pick up an LB or two there.

 

[Spurdog98]

Billy is going to have to recruit the hell out of DL's and LB's to run the offense he wants to run. Looks like we got the DB recruiting, at least on paper. But his 1970's style offense will require a very stout D and a very patient fan base...two things we currently don't have.

 

[oxrageous]

But his 1970's style offense will require a very stout D and a very patient fan base...two things we currently don't have.

Can you back up this absurd claim that it's a "1970's" offense? If anything, Napier passed TOO MUCH this season considering his personnel.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Are you suggesting Billy didn’t want to put his hands on another man’s meat? Striclin must be heartbroken.

Why do you think Strickles hired the basketball coach??

 

[Spurdog98]

Can you back up this absurd claim that it's a "1970's" offense? If anything, Napier passed TOO MUCH this season considering his personnel.

You can disagree with the claim but it's mine to make. In 1970 the top 10 passing QB's avg 25 att. a game. Names like Theismann, Sullivan, Fouts etc. There completition pct hovered in the mid 50's. AR's attempts per game...27 with a very comparable comp pct. That's what I mean by style. There were certainly times when we passed TOO much.

 

[fischerwood]

Gotcha. But SOS did bring in one Jon Hoke. Trusted Stoopsy on that one a little much, LOL

To me there are two parts to this puzzle of high level coaching. Recruiting and what you do with them once you got 'em. Oversimplified? probably but watching Gators over the last 60 years or so, I've observed our best years were when we had both in bunches. But WTFDIK...


Oh yeah, Hoke the Joke, now I remember...Go Gators...

 

[SGG]

Can you back up this absurd claim that it's a "1970's" offense? If anything, Napier passed TOO MUCH this season considering his personnel.

I don’t disagree that he’s passed too much, but I think what Spur is getting at here is that the passing concepts are way too simple, and we keep running the same bs plays(bootleg, bubble screen) in the passing game that are basically throwaway play calls. I don’t know that he necessarily needs an OC, but he absolutely needs a passing game coordinator. Who knows, maybe with AR moving on, he will open up the playbook a little more with better passing concepts. Time will tell.

 

[cover2]

I’m not voting until I’m assured there was no ballot harvesting or counting irregularities

For me the two biggest keys are Billy’s recruiting/portal class and whether he redistributes the OC/QB coaching roles.

The first part is especially essential for success. On defense, the back seven have got to have an infusion of talent to go along with the development of the serviceable players on the roster and that needs to become a constant each year.

It’s arguable that Billy might have done some better with his play calling if he didn’t have to feed, burp, and diaper his QB. That still leaves clock management as an issue and I’d personally prefer he tend to the latter and delegate the first two while providing oversight.

I think if he streamlines his game day roles, he can potentially become a really good HC for our Gators, but it’s going to take making good hires and trusting his coaches to coach while, again, providing the requisite oversight. More of a CEO approach.

I’ll finish with a word on his DC. I believe that improving the personnel quality on that side of the ball will definitely help as will the departure of some of the graduates along with the leftover roster-fillers. The majority of what we tried to do defensively, especially in the secondary, was sound in theory and alignment. The execution was inconsistent and I don’t think coaching alone could overcome the inherited deficits (poor fundamentals, techniques, consistency of effort, etc.) sufficiently, save some scattered high points. That accounts for year one and the off-season becomes more important than ever. If year two were to start out any way similar to this one, Billy better have the next guy in the wings. If he’s as analytical as has been billed, I would expect much better performance beginning in Utah.

 

[Bait'n Gator]

Maybe you haven't noticed our recruiting over the last 5+ years, but the University of Florida was no longer a draw for high school kids. Through hideous neglect, perception of the school was in the toilet. Top prospects weren't even VISITING the damn school. Under these circumstances, this is a dynamite class and will be even better in 2023. Even better than that in 2024. Proclaiming this class as "mediocre" is stupid, even for you.

This silly "he's fourth in conference" crapola that's supposed to be a clever smear can still put him in the Top 5 overall in the entire damn US of A. The SEC so dominates recruiting nationwide that coming in 4th in the SEC means you had an elite class. Come up with better hate, you're slipping.

I know you're eaten up with this hate (and have been since the announcement of his hire), but Napier isn't going anywhere for a long time so you may want to pace yourself or you'll risk keeling over. Perhaps if you show us on the doll where Napier touched you we can avoid the inevitable heart attack that will come from holding in so much anger.

He touched the doll on the chode.

We all spend a large portion of our days posting on a gator sports message board, to act like we don't want Florida to be successful is silly.

I wasn't happy with the hire because I wanted Riley, Kiffin or Freeze. I think Napier is to laid back and probably too good of a person to be an elite coach. Great coaches are always major dick heads for better or worse and normally borderline pieces of shyt. I can't name a great coache in my lifetime who wasn't an *******.

Saban, Meyer, SOS, Smart, Kiffin and Riley are all arrogant ass holes and Freeze is willing to buy his players prostitutes and probably worse if that's what it takes to win. I don't see those attributes in Napier, he's bragged about how proud he is of our rivals after each of them beat our ass.

If your happy with being 4th or 5th in the SEC every year then I'm happy for you, but as soon as Auburn hires Freeze that 4th or 5th is going to become 5th or 6th. Living in Georgia and them being so dominant doesn't help things either.

 

[fischerwood]

Draftable players are sitting out that game.

Bet it's the Badgers in the Birmingham bowl, which sux BTW

 

[78]

You can disagree with the claim but it's mine to make. In 1970 the top 10 passing QB's avg 25 att. a game. Names like Theismann, Sullivan, Fouts etc. There completition pct hovered in the mid 50's. AR's attempts per game...27 with a very comparable comp pct. That's what I mean by style. There were certainly times when we passed TOO much.

That's your call and it's my call that it doesn't pass muster. It's arbitrary and vague. We can't yet definitively say what Napier's offense is going to look like because we haven't yet seen the full product rolled out. But from what I've seen so far it's plenty contemporary and it need not be quarterback centric. It needs balance and consistency.

 

[Spurdog98]

That's your call and it's my call that it doesn't pass muster. It's arbitrary and vague. We can't yet definitively say what Napier's offense is going to look like because we haven't yet seen the full product rolled out. But from what I've seen so far it's plenty contemporary and it need not be quarterback centric. It needs balance and consistency.

Yes we can because he has a body of work at UL. It was one of the knocks many made about him when he was hired. Even when he had his guys at UL he couldn't blow anyone out and the games were always close. We've seen him take his foot of the gas several times.

His passing game is about as vanilla as it gets and these simpleton screens do IMO, have a bit of the old school stench. Just because he goes for it alot of 4th down and still runs a RPO doesn't change the overall philosophy of what he is doing.

 

[jdh5484]

I’m not voting until I’m assured there was no ballot harvesting or counting irregularities

For me the two biggest keys are Billy’s recruiting/portal class and whether he redistributes the OC/QB coaching roles.

The first part is especially essential for success. On defense, the back seven have got to have an infusion of talent to go along with the development of the serviceable players on the roster and that needs to become a constant each year.

It’s arguable that Billy might have done some better with his play calling if he didn’t have to feed, burp, and diaper his QB. That still leaves clock management as an issue and I’d personally prefer he tend to the latter and delegate the first two while providing oversight.

I think if he streamlines his game day roles, he can potentially become a really good HC for our Gators, but it’s going to take making good hires and trusting his coaches to coach while, again, providing the requisite oversight. More of a CEO approach.

I’ll finish with a word on his DC. I believe that improving the personnel quality on that side of the ball will definitely help as will the departure of some of the graduates along with the leftover roster-fillers. The majority of what we tried to do defensively, especially in the secondary, was sound in theory and alignment. The execution was inconsistent and I don’t think coaching alone could overcome the inherited deficits (poor fundamentals, techniques, consistency of effort, etc.) sufficiently, save some scattered high points. That accounts for year one and the off-season becomes more important than ever. If year two were to start out any way similar to this one, Billy better have the next guy in the wings. If he’s as analytical as has been billed, I would expect much better performance beginning in Utah.

All eyes on recruiting and the portal.

All he has to do is look at the offense, defense and special team stats. If he is analytical, there are some glaring deficiencies in each group.

Some can be addressed with recruiting/portal and some has to be addressed with him and his staff.

 

[fischerwood]

Winning or losing the bowl game doesn't amount to a hill of beans. The only thing that really matters right now is recruiting.

Do you really think Stricklin hired Napier with anything but a long-term outlook? I think he could go 0-12 next season and not get fired. Stricklin, right or wrong, is all in on this rebuild. If things went completely south, and I mean COMPLETELY south, it's possible he could be on the hot seat in year 3. No chance in hell before that, especially if recruiting remains strong.

BN is here for a while, guys. Settle in. Best-case scenario for those that want him gone is during or after year 4 like all the others, in my opinion.

I respectfully disagree. It's what you do with those recruited and the results that we Gators are interested in.
Ron Zook, and others come to mind. Just my $.02
Go Gators...

 

[Theologator]

I think Urbs would have a chance at a winning record with this team. Urbs would maximize what little he had on offense by leaning on the legs or AR and his RB's with very little downfied passing, IMO. Defense would be an issue, but Urbs would be big on TOP and field position to try to help

SOS could only have a winning record by not playing AR. Defense way too awful for SOS as no way to consistently score 50 with this team. AR could no way QB an SOS system even if it was scaled down. The passing alone requires extreme accuracy and pretty precise timing. AR possesses neither.

Agree. Meyer would have single-winged Vandy & Ky to death. SOS said he could teach QBs to make better decisions or throw more accurately, not both.

Neither SOS or Meyer would stand for such an utter lack of defense. That was the biggest problem this year IMHO. Even thin and young there is no excuse for complete collapse. And 2 years in a row. Those guys aren’t THAT devoid of talent.

 

[SGG]

Agree. Meyer would have single-winged Vandy & Ky to death. SOS said he could teach QBs to make better decisions or throw more accurately, not both.

Neither SOS or Meyer would stand for such an utter lack of defense. That was the biggest problem this year IMHO. Even thin and young I placed there is no excuse for complete collapse. And 2 years in a row. Those guys aren’t THAT devoid of talent.

Not only that, but the first time Richardson got the yips, he’d have a warm spot on the bench