Bishop Media Sports Network
G-Day
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another G-Day game has come and gone. The annual spring game, which for decades stood as a reasonable excuse for alumni & recent graduates to make an offseason return to the classic city, has grown into something larger.
For the first time, the intrasquad matchup of the red & black was broadcast live on ESPN2, making it the highest billed CFB non-game event in cable broadcast history.
The event has had its share of celebrities in the past; either in the stands or as guest coaches for one of the squads. This year there was no need for such chicanery & tomfoolery.
No sir, the citizens of Dawgnation have rewatched the national championship game dozens of times since January (and probably will watch it a dozen more between now & September), but they are ready for some new information as to what they can realistically expect out of the Dawgs this fall.
What they saw on the field invited an old friend back into their red & black hearts – Hope.
For the first time in his career, Stetson Bennett IV will start the season as the undisputed starting quarterback. His performance at G-Day showed that his enshrinement as QB1 is justified, but he still has room to grow in his final season between the hedges.
The Mailman went 15-35 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. The 2 INTs were mildly troublesome, but not blatantly bad decisions like we saw in the SEC Championship Game.
On the other hand, Carson Beck showed that he will be more than capable to step into the starting role should situations require. The redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville went 14 of 26 for 274 yards with no scores or picks.
While the RBs at RBU were understandably quiet on the day, the tight ends were the real showcase even without freshman phenom Brock Bowers.
LSU transfer Arik Gilbert and early enrollee Oscar Delp showed that the receiving corps is just fine without a 1000-yard WR, thank you very much.
Delp led all receivers on the day with 7 catches for 91 yards, while Gilbert hauled in 3 catches for 49 yards and 2 TDs, including a beaut of a 16-yarder in double coverage.
When you take an arguably all-time great defense like UGA had last year, a drop in performance has to be expected. Of last year’s contributors, eight are expected to be drafted in the NFL draft this year, with an outside chance of a record-tying six Dawgs going in the first round.
When you have that severe of a talent bleed, you would be hard pressed to expect anything but a letdown. G-Day showed us that although the lofty heights of 2021 are more than likely out of reach, the drop off in defensive production might not be as severe as feared.
While Kelee Ringo will pick up right where he left off and Jalen Carter will undoubtedly take over from Jordan Davis as the heart & soul leader of the 2022 Bulldogs, there were several names on display at G-Day that Dawg Nation would do well to remember.
For example, take Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Get used to the initials TID. The redshirt freshman was in the backfield almost as much as the running backs all day long.
Warren Brinson was pushing the line as well, forcing pressure on the QB and making his presence felt.
All things considered, the first-string defense did better against the first-string offense than you would expect, considering 10 out of the 11 starters from last year’s opener against Clemson have changed.
In short, the 2022 G-Day Game was more than just a spring warm up as usual. The National Championship team received their rings, and those that bleed red & black got a chance to see what to expect in the fall.
And expectations, while understandably high, may not be unrealistic after all.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch April 23
Out Front
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When the UCF Knights took the field for their spring game on Saturday, they had a unique look.
UCF announced that in the spring game, players will be donning custom QR codes on the back of their jerseys in place of the traditional number. The QR code will link back to the player’s profile on the UCF athletics website.
On the UCF website, each player has links to their social media profiles. This innovative approach to the spring game further emphasizes the changing times across college athletics in the NIL era.
This approach is not the first of its kind for UCF in the NIL era. Last spring, UCF geared up for its spring game with different looking uniforms, just like this year. Last spring game, though, Knights players had their Twitter handles on their nameplates.
Things obviously look drastically different right now across college sports than they did a couple years ago. With players now able to profit off of their Name, Image, and Likeness, the game has completely changed. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn has seen those changes come by firsthand.
UCF has tried to embrace the evolving times under Malzahn, and now these types of things are par for the course in college sports.
“Last year, we put Twitter handles on our jerseys. I was like, ‘What the heck am I doing?’” Malzahn said. “We wanted to be the school that embraced it. At the old traditional schools, there’s a lot of dynamics. Yeah, they’re for it but really, they’re not for it. We are a school that can fully embrace it—the young school, social media. It fits with us. It was a little weird early on. Now it’s not. Now it’s part of the job description.”
UCF’s offense hit its stride in the Spring Game after quarterbacks Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee combined to produce nearly 500 passing yards.
Malzahn’s optimism for the quarterbacks showed on the stat sheet with Keene going 21 of 28 for 282 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Plumlee went 11 of 15 for 189 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Opponents totaled 25 sacks for 158 yards against UCF last year. That’s 4 more sacks and 23 extra yards than the year prior.
With starters Cole Schneider and Marcus Tatum off to the pros, Malzahn turned to the NCAA transfer portal for more size. He found that with a 6-foot-10 offensive tackle Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) and a 6-foot-7 tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State).
With the combination of adding two transfers with a full year of development under coach Herb Hand, Malzahn likes where things stand with his offensive line.
That success by the offensive line will lead to running the ball well. During the spring game, sophomore Johnny Richardson gained 108 yards on just 9 carries while Mark-Antony Richards, Anthony Williams and true freshman Jordan McDonald rushed for more than 30 yards each.
This all happened while starting running back Isaiah Bowser, who led the team with 9 rushing touchdowns last year, had the afternoon off.
Last season was the first for Malzahn at UCF. In his first year, he led the Knights to an overall record of 9-4, including a 5-3 mark against AAC opponents. UCF wrapped up the season with a victory over the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“Ever since the bowl win, it’s been different,” Malzahn said. “I think the combination of the bowl win, the combination of going to the Big 12, you can feel when you’re here that we’re about to do something special. You can feel it, the recruits can feel it. Everybody wants to dream, everybody wants to be a part of something special, and we’re well on our way.”
UCF is definitely a bright future stock to BUY.
Clemson Spring
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Dabo Swinney has elevated Clemson into one of the most elite programs in the nation.
The Tigers seemed to make the College Football Playoff every season. After quarterback Trevor Lawrence was drafted #1 in the 2021 NFL Draft, we still thought they would be a top-5 team.
He was replaced by five-star QB D.J. Uiagalelei. The Tigers recruit so well they just reload rather than rebuild. Unfortunately, that was not the case last year. They were 10 – 3 but that’s not good enough for Clemson.
Uiagalelei is coming off a sophomore season that saw him rank at or near the bottom of most statistical categories in the ACC, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9). It was a season that saw the quarterback have his share of struggles, most notably with accuracy, as Uiagalelei completed just 56% of his passes.
D.J. has lost weight since last season and hopefully that will help him move quicker. The Spring Game was April 9th so we did see some improvement on his footwork, decision making and releasing the ball quicker.
He still had issues with his accuracy, throwing several off-target passes. He completed 17-of-36 passes for 175 yards and an interception. To be fair, there were multiple dropped passes.
The five-star freshman from Texas, Cade Klubnik completed 15-of-23 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik was ranked the number one quarterback in the country in the last recruiting cycle.
“DJ is definitely our starter,” Swinney said. “He has had a great spring. He has not done anything to not be the starter.”
It might be unfair to believe D.J. would drastically improve after 15 practices. He also played behind an offensive line that was missing several starters in the Spring Game. Clemson has a talented defensive line, so they had a tough time.
This does look like a possible quarterback controversy brewing once the season starts. Swinney does feel like he can win with both quarterbacks.
“It is not often you can say that, but I have seen enough from both of those guys to know that,” Swinney said. “So, it is a good situation.”
Running back Will Shipley was really the only bright spot on offense last season. He rushed for 739 yards, 11 touchdowns and averaged 5 yards per carry. He also had 16 catches for 116 yards. Shipley and the number 2 back Kobe Pace had offseason procedures, so they did not play in the Spring Game.
The only other scholarship running back on the roster was Phil Mafah from Grayson (GA).
“I thought it would allow me to just show that I could be the guy out there,” Mafah said. “I could do it just like they could, and they just allowed me to show off what I could do and help bring up the others.”
Position coach C.J. Spiller and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said Mafah has earned more carries for the 2022 season. Now it looks like the Tigers will have three reliable backs next season.
The final score of the Spring Game was White beat Orange 15 – 7.
Jaguars Draft Needs
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2022 NFL Draft will be the 87th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players.
The draft is scheduled to be held in Paradise, Nevada, from April 28–30, 2022.
For the second year in a row the Jacksonville Jaguars hold the number one overall selection. The Jags are a team with many pressing needs. Let us look at the top two areas of need for the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wide Receiver: The Jaguars have a potential franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who they selected first overall in 2021.
They must build the offense around him and keep surrounding him with more weapons. Their wide receiver corps is good but not great.
Jacksonville paid a pile of money to sign Christian Kirk form Arizona. Kirk was never the #1 option in Arizona, but Jacksonville gave him a #1 receiver contract. We shall see how this plays out. The top five receiving prospects in this draft are:
Garrett Wilson/Ohio State University/Projected top ten pick
Jameson Williams/University of Alabama/Projected top fifteen pick
Drake London/University of Southern California/Projected top fifteen pick
Treylon Burks/University of Arkansas/Projected top fifteen pick
Chris Olave/Ohio State University/Projected First Round
To get one of the top five rated wide receivers the Jaguars would need to trade down in the draft for a Garrett Wilson and collect draft capital in the process.
If the top five names above, go as projected in the first round where they are slotted could Jacksonville draft former Georgia WR George Pickens with the first pick in the second round #33 to address the need at WR.
Pickens is a stud who ran 4.47 at the combine 11 months removed from a torn ACL. Pickens is a top thirty rated prospect on many NFL draft boards. This is a position of high need for Jacksonville that needs to be addressed in the first two rounds.
Offensive Line: The Jaguars need to replenish the offensive line in 2022. Look no further than the University of Alabama’s Evan Neal.
Neal’s Draft Profile:
Rating: 92.93 (All-Pro)
Pro Comparison: Bigger Andrew Thomas
Strengths: Insanely large, impossibly twitched up for his size. Carries his weight extremely well. Loose-hipped blocker with effortless power, which makes him a tremendous asset at the second level. High-end recovery skills because of his suddenness. Creates huge arc for rushers to run around to the QB. Balance could use some work. All-Pro upside and is mostly NFL ready.
Weaknesses: Can get a little overanxious at the second level and lunge, and the same is true in pass protection. Anchor is not as sturdy as expected given his size. Occasionally, small speed rushers get the best of him.
Accolades: 2021- Consensus All-America (two sacks allowed in fifteen starts)
Forty career starts (2020 CFP national champion)
Neal has been projected anywhere from the first overall pick to the fifth overall pick in most mock drafts I have seen.
I think Jacksonville should take Neal with the number one overall pick and draft the best wide receiver on their board with the first selection in second round. Then draft additional wide receivers and maybe some help secondary help in the mid to later round.
To take the next step the Jacksonville Jaguars need to provide Trevor Lawrence with some weapons, or you are setting him up for failure.
Head Of The Class
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia may set a new school-record for more players selected in one NFL Draft this year, surpassing the mark set last season (nine) and challenging the national record of 14 sets by LSU in the 2020 draft.
There could be 14 Bulldogs selected in the upcoming draft (April 28-30) in their most recent article.
Amazingly, the Bulldogs actually have 16 players with NFL draft grades, meaning the record could be broken.
Georgia sent a program-record 14 players to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, where just weeks earlier the Bulldogs beat Alabama 33-18 in the CFP Championship Game.
Smart said he isn’t certain if he’ll make an in-person appearance at the draft, which is in Las Vegas, as the Georgia player recruiting-and retaining schedule has been booked for UGA’s busy coaching staff.
I think people sometimes get lost in the stats and they overlook the fact that Georgia’s defense was so deep. There were so many guys, they had Nakobe Dean rotating in, who was, you know, the leader of the defense, and the winner of the Butkus Award.
Scouts know about Jordan Davis because he’s 340 pounds and ran in the 4.7’s.
People rave about Travon Walker‘s physical potential. He’s a long 270-275 pound guy, runs exceptionally well, and plays the run really well. I have Walker projected as the first Bulldog off the board.
Georgia’s leading tackler Lewis Cine, linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, as well as defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt are just a few of the top names that performed during Georgia’s pro day last month.
Other prospects like George Pickens, James Cook, and Zamir White raised their draft stocks. However, Pickens and Cine seem to be two names that I feel could be on the bubble of sneaking into the first round after their combine performances.
Almost a year removed from a torn ACL, Pickens ran a 4.47, while Lewis Cine’s 4.37 forty-yard dash is enough to make many wonder if the Georgia safety has a chance of being drafted on day one.
My projections suggest four Bulldogs will be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft – which would be another school record.
Further, there could be 10 Georgia football players selected in the first three rounds, which would be yet another school mark.
Here’s a look at where UGA players are expected to be picked in my most recent mock draft:
2022 NFL Draft FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Travon Walker, NY Giants
No. 19 Jordan Davis, New Orleans
No. 21 Nakobe Dean, New England
No. 23 Devonte Wyatt, Arizona
SECOND ROUND
No. 36 Quay Walker, NY Giants
No. 49 Lewis Cine, New Orleans
No. 56 George Pickens, Dallas
No. 59 Jamaree Salyer, Green Bay
THIRD ROUND
No. 71 Channing Tindall, Chicago
No. 97 James Cook, Detroit
FIFTH ROUND
No. 162 Zamir White, Philadelphia
SIXTH ROUND
No. 203 Derion Kendrick, Buffalo
No. 216 Justin Shaffer, Indianapolis
SEVENTH ROUND
No. 253 Adam Anderson, LA Rams
Golden Isles Legend
By: Charles Skipper
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I have only been writing articles for two months now and I do not know how many more opportunities I will have in the future to write others but I feel it is safe to say that this will be the most difficult one I will ever have to compose.
The reason for the level of difficulty in this particular article is that it is about the passing of my best friend Bob Black on April 4th, 2022.
Bob was diagnosed with Cancer in early February and lived six weeks after receiving the news. During those six weeks hundreds of people reached out to Coach Black, as he was known, and let him know how much he meant to them.
The Glynn Academy Baseball Team honored him at their game with Brunswick High School and he was able to stand and throw out the first pitch.
He told me after the event that he had no idea the amount of love and respect that people in the community had for him. He was humbled beyond words and extremely appreciative of everyone’s support.
I could fill volumes of articles with stories and antidotes of my friendship with Bob from the time we first met in 1983 at Georgia Southern but I have chosen another way to honor Coach Black.
I reached out to other Coaches that were fortunate enough to work alongside Bob in his coaching career and asked them to share their thoughts and experiences with Coach Black. These are their own words on what Bob meant to them and the kids they coached together.
Cricket Mobley: To lose a friend like Bob Black would leave a big hole in anyone’s “Friends” list. For me it takes away someone I have shared a lot of experiences with and shown up with.
We Coached the local kids and allowed us to grow up with them. To be a part of athletics and life with Bob was truly a blessing and I will miss him every day.
God bless Bob and his family and may the voices of time speak well of him. Always available. Always A Competitor. Always a friend. Love you Man
Todd Collier: Coach Black was tough on the field but he was always the first one to give them that atta boy hug afterwards. He was a player’s coach and the kids wanted to work hard for him. They worked hard for his respect. They never wanted to disappoint Coach Black.
Ted Wallen: Coach Bob was our backbone. He not only coached kids, he coached coaches. He would send out group texts to all the coaches at some of our worst times and remind us all of what we have to be grateful for and say “it is a great day to be a Terror.”
Our players are deeply saddened by the loss of their Coach. Bob reminded us just how powerful the Human Spirit can be.
Rocky Hidalgo: He will be remembered as the most honest man I ever met.
Coach Black would never sugar coat anything. He was open, direct and honest with every player and coach in our program, whether they liked it or not. He will be missed by all of us associated with the program.
Scott Spence: I knew Coach Black for over 30 years. I had the opportunity to work with him from the perspective of a Coach, Athletic Director, Principal and Superintendent.
He unselfishly gave himself to the student-athletes of the Glynn County School System. I can think of few, if any, who supported our student-athletes during that time frame in the positive manner that Coach Black did.
He was a good man who unselfishly wanted to see all of our young people succeed. Those kinds of people are very rare and we will miss him tremendously. We lost a good man.
The interactions and relationships Bob had with players and Coaches will be forever remembered and cherished by them. He truly was a person that made the world a better place.
Bob, I hope the fish are always biting and the Braves, Bulldogs and Terrors are winning all their games up there where you are my oldest friend.
We miss you and you keep them laughing up there Pal.
Who’s On First?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When we start talking about the Atlanta Braves roster for the 2022 season, the first thing we need to do is just have everyone CALM DOWN.
Yes, this is a roster that does not include Freddie Freeman. He is now on a different roster, headquartered on the other side of the country. This fact is very sad but it is a fact with which we must all come to grips.
Especially since the new season has arrived and there are a whole 28 (for now) other players that are on the roster. And, I might add, it’s a roster that is primed to make another run at a championship.
First off, we have the return talents of Charlie Morton, Ian Anderson, Huascar Ynoa, Kyle Wright, and Opening Day starter Max Fried set to open the season in the starting rotation.
This is more or less the rotation that got the Braves through the postseason last year, which should instill some confidence in the hearts of the Braves faithful.
Fried and Anderson are low-key greats in the NL, despite the rings they’re about to receive, backed up by the gutsy veteran Morton, the still-not-quite- consistent Ynoa, and the postseason hero/still unproven in the regular season Wright.
I’d call that three you can count on and two talented question marks. And of course there’s always the looming specter of Mike Soroka getting healthy, assuming that ever happens.
Taking the ball from the starters is the Night Shift, most of whom are back to haunt opponents (Luke Jackson’s recent injury notwithstanding).
Will Smith, Tyler Matzek, and AJ Minter all return, joined now by the former Dodgers fireballer Kenley Jansen, and the bullpen looks to be in great shape yet again.
As for the plate and the field: the roster really doesn’t look so massively different as it did at the end of season; with one large, aforementioned exception.
Travis d’Arnaud returns as the backstop with William Contreras along with him (Manny Pina is also on the roster for the time being, as teams start the year with two extra players due to a shortened Spring Training). d’Arnaud is in the second year of his two-year extension in 2022, which didn’t quite pay off last season as he followed up a stellar 2020 with an injury-plagued 2021.
He’s shown that he is capable of hitting the ball when he’s healthy, so the Braves will have to hope he stays on the field. If Contreras is the heir apparent for next season, he’ll need to get more at-bats and have better ones too.
That being said, if the rest of the lineup does their job, the catchers will just need to catch. The infield is as full of firepower as ever, with Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson, and Ozzie Albies all back to try and top their 33, 27, and 30 home run campaigns from last year.
Matt Olson, far from a scrub replacing Freeman, would have led the team in homers last year with 39.
The outfield is a little more of a mess, but not necessarily a troublesome one. Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall are back and will certainly hold their own at the plate and in the field.
The real question mark is who fills in for a few weeks until Ronald Acuna, Jr. returns to the outfield? The expectation has been that Marcel Ozuna will primarily serve as the designated hitter for Atlanta this year.
Ozuna is a former center fielder (those days are behind him) who can play left field in the interim while Brian Snitker plays around with the DH and keeps his players fresh to start.
Guillermo Heredia is another option to fill in playing outfield, but with that shortened Spring I think it is likely like Ozuna rotates in and out of the outfield rather than Snit settling into a consistent lineup, at least until early May. That is when Ronald Acuna Jr. is expected to be 100% healthy.
All told, this roster had made more headlines for who isn’t on it than for who is but the players who are on this team make up a squad that is tailored to run it back to the World Series and become the first back-to-back champions in over two decades.
The Green Jacket
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Spring is in the air as the world’s best head to Augusta National Golf Club for the 86th playing of the Masters Tournament.
Blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and the beautiful golf sanctuary of Augusta National tells you that Spring has officially arrived on the calendar.
Now news is breaking that Tiger Woods may play this year after a long grueling rehabilitation from an automobile accident that almost cost him a leg adds that much more excitement to an event that kicks off the most prestigious tournament in professional golf.
The weather forecast in Augusta is calling for sunny, cool, fall like temperatures for this year’s event.
Here are my thoughts on the favorites going in the 2022 Masters:
2022 Masters odds
Jon Rahm +1000: Rahm is considered the best golfer in the world. When his game is on, he dominates. Rahm seems to have conquered the mental side of the game over the past few years. Look for Rahm to be in contention for a Green Jacket in 2022.
Justin Thomas +1400: Maybe it is just me, but I am just not feeling like Thomas will be a factor in the 2022 Masters. Big name, big game, but it is just not his time yet.
Dustin Johnson +1600: Johnson has won at Augusta. With his length he should always be a betting favorite at Augusta. He should be in contention over the weekend.
Cameron Smith +1600: If you watched Smith make putt after putt at The Players Championship you should factor this guy in the mix for the coveted Green Jacket. The Players win has Smith peaking at the right time coming into the first major of 2022.
Scottie Scheffler +1600: Scheffler will be a non-factor which means he will be within two strokes of the lead on Sunday.
Rory McIlroy +1800: A Green Jacket would give Rory the career grand slam, but he has not finished in the top-20 in his last three starts at Augusta. Is Rory placing too much pressure on himself to win at Augusta?
Brooks Koepka +2000: Koepka only has one win since 2019. He has the game for majors, but he is in a victory drought and cannot seem to end it.
Patrick Cantlay +2000: I picked him to win The Players and it did not happen. Does not seem to be on the top of his game currently.
Jordan Spieth +2000: Always a threat at Augusta. Will be a serious contender to win in 2022. The 2015 champion always seems to play well in Augusta.
Viktor Hovland +2000: I know this kid is exceptionally good. Could be a factor in 2022.
Collin Morikawa +2000: Great all-around game. Two-time major winner plays well on all types of courses.
Xander Schauffele +2200: Finished 2nd to Tiger in 2019 at Augusta. He is due. Only a matter of time before he wins a major. Top ten finishes in all four major championships. Top three finishes in the Masters, US Open, and Open Championship. Xander could break through this weekend.
Will Zalatoris +2800: Will had a great run in 2021 finishing second at Augusta. The crowd will be going crazy if this kid is in contention on Sunday.
Bryson DeChambeau +3500: I love to watch Bryson hit the golf ball. Power golf is appealing to the masses.
My dream scenario would be for Tiger to compete in the tournament and be in contention on Sunday. That scenario ensures that I do not move out of my recliner on Sunday afternoon.
Predictions:
Winning Score: 274 (-14)
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Gator Goals
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A year ago, Florida fans were questioning the program’s coaching decision (Dan Mullen), but Florida football was fresh off an SEC title game and the program seemed to be trending in the right direction.
As you can see, things change. Quickly.
Florida finished the 2021 season with a 6-7 record. As a result, Mullen was let go. The Gators rebounded with one of the hottest names on the market- Billy Napier. The move was a home run in the coaching world and it showed that Florida is serious about winning.
With spring ball starting up, it’s time to take a glance at our new-looking Gators. What storylines should I be following? Easy, it all starts with recruiting!
During Napier’s Signing Day press conference, he made it clear: there’s plenty of work to be done. For example, the Gators signed only six players from their talent-rich home state.
While the Gators shifted their focus to the upcoming class paired with Napier’s first full season UF’s head coach — the coaching staff made it clear: Florida plans to scour the talent from the Sunshine State.
“That’s the approach that we will take and certainly with the ’23 group, which we’ve already started on,” Napier said. “That will be the mentality, for sure.”
It’s not as if Napier underestimated what Florida has to offer in the first place. Rather, he’s looking to forge new relationships in the final two months of a player’s recruitment; historically, the Gators relied on previously established connections.
Evidenced by his previous team’s (University of Louisiana Lafayette) improvement from year one to year two, there’s tangible reason to believe the Gators will make a massive leap in the recruiting rankings next season under Napier.
The University of Louisiana Lafayette improved 28 places in the team rankings from Napier’s first season to his second. After finishing fourth in the Sun Belt conference his first year, the Ragin’ Cajuns would rank atop the conference in recruiting for each of the next three seasons.
The blueprint looks to already be in place.
“I think you build your schedule based off of the ’22s. And then maybe the ’23 players in that area. You try to do the best job you can,” Napier said. “And certainly, each assistant coach kind of is taking the same philosophy.”
Katie Turner, Florida’s newly hired assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy, may not technically be a coach, but she’s a vital part of the team’s talent acquisition efforts.
Napier and his coaching staff know they’ll have to maintain the intensity on the recruiting trail if they hope to have a stress-free National Signing Day in 2023.
“We’re hopeful that we won’t be doing this much business in February next year, and we’ll be able to be a little bit more strategic about our time on the road relative to the next group,” Napier said. “But I think we made the most of it, for sure.”
Florida can be a pressure cooker, but that may be said of every high-level Division I football program. The expectations across the country have risen, along with budgets and coaches’ salaries. You’re expected to win fast or die young.
The 2023 recruiting cycle is well underway, and the Florida Gators have several goals in mind as l Billy Napier puts together his first full class of signees after a transitional 2022 haul.
One of those goals, simply put, is to recruit more effectively than the Gators’ past, which consistently missed opportunities and underwhelmed year after year on the trail.
The second goal is to put a fence around the state of Florida, being able to keep elite talent home rather than allowing non-locals to tap into Florida’s top talent and prospects as they please.
Florida has the most blue-chips of any other state (and the most 5-stars) by leaps in 2023. We’ll see if new head coaches in Florida’s Billy Napier can make some progress getting in-state prospects to stay closer to home.
In my review, Napier will be evaluated by this first class. He needs a top 5 class or this may be another short tenure for Coach Napier.
