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Florida Gators End 2024 on High Note After Dominant Performances

Florida Gators football ended the season on a hot streak, capping off a spectacular year for the entire program.

Terrance Biggs

From left to right, Jac Caglianone, DJ Lagway, and Parker Valby all had special years in 2024 for the Florida Gators.
From left to right, Jac Caglianone, DJ Lagway, and Parker Valby all had special years in 2024 for the Florida Gators. / USA TODAY SPORTS
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When sitting down for holiday dinner, a large amount of crow must find the plates of those that questioned Florida Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. Over the past year, the entire Gators athletic program, enjoyed a measure of serious success. 

As a result, the wolves that currently sat at Stricklin's door, need to find a new potential food source. Although not essentially pretty, various athletes and teams factored into various conference and national championships over the last 12 months. 

Under those circumstances, UF and Stricklin earned a level of kudos for the athletic prosperity that the school enjoyed. 

Late Season Revival

When people looked at the daunting Gators football schedule before the season started, many saw this as the reason behind Billy Napier's firing. In all honesty, the team underperformed in Napier’s first-two seasons, struggling to an 11-14 record, and a bowl appearance that resulted in a loss. 

Florida sent Dan Mullen packing despite a winning record. They held Napier, and by extension, Stricklin accountable for the mounting losses and seemingly aimless nature of the football team. With a late-season rally that culminated in a bowl win, this not only should earn Stricklin a reprieve but kudos for not pulling the trigger and ditching Napier earlier. 

Now, the football team will take a starting quarterback that could factor into the 2025 Heisman balloting and excellent recruiting/transfer class into the offseason.  

A Whole New Ball Game

Initially, experts picked Florida baseball first in the SEC East. However, conference play started and the Gators struggled. A six-game losing streak placed the postseason in peril. From April 5 to April 13, the team could not win a game. 

A first-round loss in the conference tournament to Vanderbilt, certainly cemented the fact that Florida's College World Series hopes fell into jeopardy. Yet, the team's potential finally got them on track in the Super Regional. Backed by the thunder in Jac Caglianone's bat that set several school records, the Gators embarked on a run to the College World Series, before falling to eventual national runner-up Texas A&M.

Hoop Dreams

After a first-round NCAA tournament exit, UF men's basketball entered 2024/25 with a vengeance. With 24 wins last season, the Gators are already 12-10 in 2024/25 and ranked for seventh in the Associated Press poll.

More importantly, this Gators team breezed through a challenging non-conference schedule with ease. Now, in the loaded SEC, UF poses the biggest threat to top teams like Auburn, Alabama, and Tennessee. 

Bottom Line

Florida, despite struggles, as a program, overcame adversity to succeed, as a program this year. From team successes to individual successes, the program excelled.

For example, Parker Valby won the national championship in the women's 5,000- and 10,000-meter race and was named SEC Athlete of the Year, while Grace Stark claimed the women's 100-meter hurdles title.

The Florida Gators three-high profile sports baseball, football, and basketball have all represented the university well in 2024 and have set high expectations for an even better 2025.

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Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Senior Editor/ Podcast Host, Full Press Coverage, Bleav, Member: Football Writers Association of America, United States Basketball Writers Association, and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, National Football Foundation Voter: FWAA All-American, Jim Thorpe, Davey O'Brien, Outland, and Biletnikoff Awards

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