Kirby Smart, Billy Napier Opine on the Execution of Florida Gators Rebuild
When Billy Napier assumed the reigns of the University of Football football program in December 2021, the mission was clear: Tear it down and rebuild it from the ground up.
An article released by ESPN detailing the Gators' cultural shift since Napier touched down in Gainesville, through the perspective of players who have endured the regime change at Florida — center Kinglsey Eguakun and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and Napier himself, has circulated through the news cycle heading into Week 9.
As the Gators gear up for battle against the back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs in their annual bout in Jacksonville, Fla., Dawgs head coach Kirby Smart offered his take on the state-line foe under the guidance of Napier.
Firstly, Smart expressed his admiration for Napier on Monday, saying he "does a really good job as a football coach, as a man, as a person," a perspective derived from their stint together on the Alabama staff from 2013-2015 before Smart was called to Athens, Ga.
On Tuesday, he was asked to expound on the program's direction from his viewpoint.
"I think they've recruited well," Smart said. "We recruit against them. They've recruited well, recruit hard. They have good schemes, good coaches. They have great facilities and a great organization. When you have that recipe, it's just a matter of time. You build it through hard work and discipline. You can see that in his players. You can see those guys playing with toughness and discipline. Their brand of football is very respectable. They have a lot of the same, similar schemes, defensively and offensively, to what we do, things you believe in.
"I've got a lot of respect for Billy and the job he's done. I have no doubt that Billy's going to do a great job."
The Gators, sitting at 5-2 over halfway through the regime's second season, have emphasized the importance of Napier's process and its compound effect if executed properly through player buy-in.
On Wednesday, Napier reiterated the core of the operation as he reflected on the cultural shift since he took over. He deemed it "one day at a time, one person at a time."
"I believe in football for a lot of reasons," Napier said. "I think it probably resembles life as much as anything out there. I think it gives us an opportunity to teach set of values, and I think ultimately, that's what we've done. You know, we've tried to improve the player experience, tried to improve our product relative to recruiting. I think the players see that, that there's a plan and we care about them as people, that we are trying to prioritize their education, and that we do have a plan to help develop them as players. I think, ultimately, that's what's required.
"Everything we do is about the player. And I think, ultimately, they've seen that. And, you know, it helps when you experience a little bit of success along the way. We've made mistakes as well. But I think also, we've showed progress and I think the players are seeing that."
Related: Tim Tebow Assesses Billy Napier's Florida Rebuild: 'You Can See the Buy-In'
Plenty of moments have reflected that for the Gators on and off the field in 2023.
Currently, Florida holds the No. 3 recruiting class in the country in the 2024 cycle, according to 247 Sports Composite Rankings, with 17 of the 22 (77.3%) total commitments falling into the blue-chip category.
The list of incoming pieces is led by quarterback DJ Lagway, who presents the unit with its fourth-highest-rated passer pledge of all time, behind only Brock Berlin (2000), Chris Leak (2003) and Tim Tebow (2005).
If it remains intact, it will, statistically, be the best assortment of talent the Gators have acquired from the high school level in a single class in over a decade.
On the field, Florida has produced two season-defining moments by upsetting No. 11 Tennessee in The Swamp and snapping a five-game losing streak on the road by taking down South Carolina — overcoming a ten-point hole in the fourth quarter.
The Gators flashed different characteristics in each contest, like the ability to control a game from start to finish and the resiliency to overcome adversity. Those traits are newly emerging under Napier, a testament to his impact and the unit's continuous growth in year two.
"I think we've grown a lot," Napier said. "I don't think there's any question. ... This group does have a maturity about it. They go about their business the right way. We don't have a lot of distractions. Everybody's trying to do their best for the team. It's a fun group to coach."
His next opportunity to coach the group will come against Smart's Bulldogs on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Despite resting as 13.5-point underdogs, per SI Sportsbook, since Wednesday, the contest has the potential to serve as a litmus test for the aptitude of the program amid the ongoing rebuild in Gainesville.
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