When the Florida State football team left the field after their final game against Florida State University on Nov. 25, there was a swamp atmosphere in the air. Billy Napier may be running out of time.
After finishing his second year 5-7 and losing his last five games, Napier and the Gators missed out on a bowl game appearance for the first time since 2017.
And as the offseason began, there were multiple areas the program needed to address with a daunting 2024 conference schedule looming in the third year of the Napier era.
The university will play nine teams in ESPN's “Too Early” college football Top 25, including three teams in the top 10.
The University of Florida will begin preparations for the 2024 season on the field with its first spring practice on March 7th. Florida leads several new coaches and a solid 2024 recruiting class as it begins preparations for an eight-game conference schedule at the Gators' practice facility.
Dozens of newcomers will be joining the field. The offseason was marked by a coaching merry-go-round for the Gators organization. The program has lost key coaches in certain areas, but has added well-regarded veterans to its staff.
Most recently, Napier promoted tight ends coach Russ Callaway to offensive coordinator. The move may not come as a surprise, as Napier said on Feb. 7 that Callaway would “take on greater responsibility.”
“At the end of the day, Russ is a very young coach,” Napier said. “There's a leadership element and he's respected by the players. Russ is definitely a player we're excited about.”
But Napier said he has no intention of changing who calls the plays on offense.
“Ultimately we're going to keep the same system,” he said.
Florida scouting director Joe Hamilton, who spent the past five seasons with Napier at UF and Louisiana, is leaving to join Texas A&M's staff. Hamilton played a big role in the program's recruiting success.
Additionally, former Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos will join the staff as an analyst. Enos has years of experience with programs including Alabama, Miami and Maryland. The former Razorbacks offensive coordinator was fired in October 2023.
Are you enjoying what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox
Napier added to its reinforcement staff on December 30 by announcing that Craig Fitzgerald would become the team's director of football performance. However, Fitzgerald's stint at Florida did not last long, as he left to join Boston College's staff for a similar position under new head coach Bill O'Brien. Fitzgerald and O'Brien worked together at Penn State and the NFL.
So Napier promoted Tyler Miles to be the university's new head strength coach. Miles joined the staff in 2023 after stints at Duke and Miami.
Ron Roberts, Gerald Chatman and Will Harris will be coaching the Gators' defense for the first time since joining the staff in the offseason. Roberts will be the assistant defensive coordinator, Chatman will be the defensive line coach and Harris will be the secondary coach.
In terms of players, Florida's 2024 recruiting class is highlighted by two five-star players in quarterback DJ Lagway and offensive lineman LJ McCray.
Ragway won numerous awards during his final high school season, earning Gatorade National Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors.
McCray, a native of Daytona Beach, Fla., is ranked as the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 10 player in the nation, according to On3 Sports. McCray also won the Anthony Munoz Lineman of the Year Award, which is given to the top high school lineman in the Class of 2024.
UF used the transfer portal during the offseason and added 11 transfer players to its roster. Asa Turner, Jamia Grimsley and Joey Luckman are the focus of his class in the transfer portal.
Turner is a safety for the University of Washington and started both the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Huskies' College Football Playoff game.
The University of Florida was able to flip Grimsley from the University of Alabama, while Slackman transferred from the University of Pennsylvania and was named the 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
Despite losing multiple key players to the transfer portal, the Gators have some talented players back on the roster. Graham Mertz will return as quarterback for the 2024 season, and Montrell Johnson Jr. will be the primary running back following the departure of Trevor Etienne.
Wide receiver Eugene Wilson Jr. returns after a strong freshman season and will be Mertz's primary target.
“This is probably the best group of players we've had since we've been here,” Napier said on Feb. 7.
Florida will open spring practice to the public on March 7th at the James W. “Bill” Hebner Football Training Center. The Gators will play their annual Orange and Blue Game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on April 13 at 1 p.m.
Please contact Bennett Solomon at bsolomon@alligator.org. Follow him on X @B_Soly11.
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971. Your donation today could help us #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider making a gift today.
