Welcome to talking season.
Former Florida football coach Steve Spurrier coined the phrase to discuss the offseason in the SEC, where rival fanbases can boast before action takes part on the gridiron in the fall.
The Florida Gators haven’t had much to crow about in recent seasons, and year three under Billy Napier brings more of a sense of urgency as he attempts to rebuild the program into an SEC title contender.
It won’t get any easier with traditional football powers Texas and Oklahoma joining the now 16-team league. Florida will make its first trip to Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, since 1939 when it plays at Texas on Nov. 9. Oklahoma isn’t on the UF schedule this year, though if things shake out a certain way, the two schools could wind up in the SEC championship game in Atlanta on Dec. 7.
Florida returns 14 starters on offense and defense, including quarterback Graham Mertz, and adds a freshman class highlighted by five-star quarterback D.J. Lagway and five-star edge rusher LJ McCray.
Here’s what the major preseason college football magazines think of Florida heading into the 2024 season:
Lindy’s Magazine predicts Florida to finish eighth in the new 16-team SEC. An anonymous coach, in assessing the Gators, labeled Napier as “too nice a guy” for losing commitments from the 2024 class in the final month before Signing Day.
But the magazine also gives Napier some praise for the foundation the third-year coach is building.
“Much has been made about the Gators’ lack of execution on Saturdays,” the magazine wrote. “But it’s hard not to be impressed with what Napier and company have accomplished on the recruiting trail in the last two cycles. In addition to five-stars Lagway and McCray, the Gators also added linebackers Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham, which should help satisfy an essential need in the second level and give defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong two foundational pieces for years to come in the middle of Florida’s defense.”
Athlon Magazine picks Florida to finish 11th in the 16-team SEC. In the magazine, an anonymous SEC assistant coach said of the Gators:
“Coaches respect how Napier has gone about his business, but there’s a level of expectations in the SEC and you have to build your plans around that accelerated pace … The coaching staff is almost totally different, especially on defense. That’s the biggest problem we’ve heard about, that the internal system isn’t right there. The roster will be the best they’ve had — there was a pretty significant drop in talent at the end of the (Dan) Mullen years, but that excuse has run out.”
Athlon named 10 UF players to All-SEC teams, including wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (second team), running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (second team), cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (second team), left tackle Austin Barber (third team), linebacker Shemar James (third team), punter Jeremy Crawshaw (third team), kicker Trey Smack (third team), center Jake Slaughter (fourth team), safety Jordan Castell (fourth team) and defensive tackle Cam Jackson (fourth team).
Phil Steele picks Florida to finish 10th in the 16-team SEC. Of Florida, Steele wrote: “Mike Norvell had two losing seasons to start at Florida State and they stuck with them and were rewarded. Billy Napier took over a Gators squad that had below average recruiting classes prior to him and two super tough schedules. In 2022 they got to a bowl and lost (6-7) and last year were 5-7 with close losses to Arkansas, Missouri and FSU. This year they face the nation’s toughest schedule but have 14 returning starters. The final five games are Georgia, at Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State but all of my nine sets of power ratings call for seven-plus wins with just three true SEC road games.”
Eight Florida players were named to Steele’s All-SEC teams, including running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (first team), punter Jeremy Crawshaw (first team), linebacker Shemar James (second team). cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (second team), long snapper Rocco Underwood (second team), left tackle Austin Barber (third team), kicker Trey Smack (third team) and safety Jordan Castell (fourth team).
