"Collab of century" "Get him away": Fans divided over Billy Napier's surprise visit for NFL team practice

Florida Gators coach Billy Napier visited the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice facility on Friday. He was spotted talking with Jaguars coach Liam Coen during the NFL team's practice.

The Jaguars’ X account posted photos of Napier on the field in Jacksonville, sparking intrigue among fans.

“Gator boys stay hot 🐊🔥 #DUUUVAL” the post was captioned.

While some fans celebrated the union of Gainesville and Duval County football cultures, others weren't enthusiastic.

One user tweeted:

“Collab of the century for guys like me.”

Criticism quickly followed from Jaguars loyalists concerned about Napier’s visit.

“Please get this trash coach away from the team 😣” one fan wrote.

“No get him away from my team,” another commented.

“First L of the season...” another wrote.

One user took a playful jab:

“Whoa that’s not Kirby Smart…”

One fan wrote:

“Love it. Doug would have never.”

Meanwhile, another fan wrote:

“OH WOW.”

Florida is known to be a heavy recruiter in Jacksonville and Billy Napier being on a visit there is not an uncommon occurrence. The Jaguars and the Gators are connected by legend Fred Taylor, who represented both teams.

Josh Pate alleges Billy Napier came very close to losing his job

Billy Napier's Gators were poor in the first half of last season, losing against Miami and Texas A&M in blowout fashion. He relieved himself with a strong second half, which saw the Gators secure bowl eligibility in the final game of the season.

Josh Pate didn't mince words while targeting Napier, saying the head coach came very close to losing the job.

“If you go back to halfway through the season last year, you remember the talk," Pate said. "It wasn’t whether he would lose his job, it was who we are going to hire once he does lose his job. And I remember some of the feedback I was getting from really deep-pocketed, influential people around Florida, and the message was, Josh, it’s going to happen. We’re just trying to figure out, like, do we wait until bye week?”

The Gators are looking for a big season with quarterback DJ Lagway potentially taking the reins as the starting quarterback.