"Expect some inconsistency" - CFB insider pumps brakes on Billy Napier's Florida's 2025 outlook despite "resilient" roster

Billy Napier's Florida had a rough 2024 college football season. In addition to having one of the most difficult schedules last year, the team's star quarterback, Graham Mertz, suffered a major injury.

Freshman DJ Lagway had to take over from Mertz in October and finished the season with 60% of his passes completed for 1,915 yards, along with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The 2025 season may not be a piece of cake for Napier and Co. as well since their schedule features eight teams that will potentially rank this year at some point or the other, including powerhouses like Texas and Georgia.

Discussing their fate in the upcoming season, the Athletic's Bruce Feldman wrote:

"The Gators visit a Miami team that blasted them in The Swamp last year, too. But if I were a Gators fan, I’d be optimistic. This seems like a very resilient bunch. As rough as things got last year, Billy Napier never lost that team. The players played hard for him. There is plenty of talent beyond Lagway.

"Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp is one of the best in college football; rival coaches have immense respect for him. Caleb Banks, their big defensive tackle (seven sacks) is another headache for rivals. They also have a seasoned offensive line anchored by center Jake Slaughter. Against a stacked schedule, expect some inconsistency — but this group is good enough to win eight or nine games."

Billy Napier shares what it was like working under Nick Saban

Nick Saban not only produced numerous successful NFL players, but also coaches like Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin and Billy Napier, who have grown into the head coaches they are today.

Talking about how he learned more from Saban in one year at Alabama in 2011 compared to his 10-year journey before that, he told Josh Pate:

"I had gotten let go at Clemson. I was regrouping. Just married. Then it’s, what is the next step? You kind of have to invest, even if you have to go backwards. I think that first year at Alabama as an analyst, that was my 11th year, I would say I learned more in that year than I learned the prior ten."

After working under Saban for one year, Napier left for an assistant job at Colorado State and later returned to Alabama as a wide receivers coach from 2013-17.