ESPN Highlights Billy Napier Redemption Arc with Florida Gators

While the decision to retain Billy Napier for 2025 received mixed reviews, he's doing his part to redeem himself

Billy Napier's redemption arc isn't going unnoticed / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been a good couple weeks for Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier. He’s picked up two long-awaited SEC wins. One is his first win over LSU and another is his first top-10 win since the Gators beat No. 7 Utah in his first game as their head coach. 

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg made sure to give him some love in their college football Week 13 takeaways. 

He considers Napier, along with Oklahoma’s Brent Venables and Auburn's Hugh Freeze to have further redeemed themselves with big wins on Saturday. 

“But Napier, Venables and Freeze all strengthened their profiles and elevated hope for the future by leading their teams to signature wins in Week 13.” 

Rittenberg was impressed by Florida's continuing to bend but not break on defense and the performance of true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. This all culminated in what could have spoiled Ole Miss’ playoff ambitions. 

“Napier, whose Florida team had outclassed LSU the week before in The Swamp, likely eliminated Ole Miss from CFP contention with an excellent second half. A Gators defense that struggled early allowed only three points in the final 39 minutes and intercepted Jaxson Dart twice in the closing minutes, and Florida got impressive play from its own young quarterback, DJ Lagway.”

Napier was also given credit for having shown “real signs of promise before Week 13.”

Florida took No. 8 Tennessee to overtime, losing 23-17. But more impressively took Georgia down to the wire despite Lagway being carted off with a hamstring injury. While the final score was 34-20, those who watched know that it was a one-score game until about four minutes to go. That gave Florida props, but now he’s beaten ranked opponents. 

Now, Florida has a shot to finish with its first winning record since 2020 and win its first bowl game since 2019. 

Rittenberg concluded his takes by saying Napier, along with Vernables and Freeze, has given “tangible evidence to cite that better days might be ahead.” 

It sure is finally starting to look that way.