Is Embattled Florida Gators Coach Billy Napier on Borrowed Time?

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier needs to beat Texas A&M on Saturday to calm the masses.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier needs to stack wins starting with Texas A&M on Saturday. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Things have gotten pretty ugly for Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier in Gainesville, but it is hard to say he isn’t mostly at fault for the uproar from the fanbase. 

There are many things that have gone wrong during his time serving as the head man for the Gators. Him being in constant belief that he can manage as an SEC offensive play caller despite having too many moments of uninspiring football on display and recruits suing him for NIL-related problems are just the tip of the iceberg. 

However, would Napier escape the hole that he dug himself into with a win against Texas A&M? No, but it would be a start.  

For starters, there are too many losses on the board for Napier to rectify it with one SEC win against a team in transition. With losses to teams such as Vanderbilt and Kentucky on his resume, it is going to take a run of wins to get the crusaders off his back. 

Luckily for him, that run can begin now. The toughest part of the schedule has yet to arrive, which means he can build momentum with the “easier” part that is in front of him. Sure, he most likely won’t be favored in any of the games heading forward, but there are plenty of home games left and any home game is winnable.  

Then, outside of just the schedule aspect, he needs to be better at player management against the Aggies and through the rest of the year. It is simple. The better players need to play. 

While it wouldn’t be fair to starter Graham Mertz to have lost his job due to injury, how much longer can Napier limit the amount of damage freshman DJ Lagway can impose on opponents? Lagway could be the answer to Napier keeping his job in Gainesville just a little longer. 

Lagway has generated noise around campus ever since he stepped foot in Gainesville. That was even more apparent in the win over Samford last weekend. Albeit, Samford isn't the best team in the country, it is no easy feat throwing for 400+ yards in a single game and when you have the crowd chanting your name, it is even more special. 

Furthermore, fans and boosters will want to see him get as many snaps as possible before the season ends, but Napier hasn’t fully committed himself to that idea yet, which might need to change if he wants an extended stay with the Orange and Blue. Napier can't afford to build for the future. He needs to win now. He thinks Mertz starting gives him the best chance. How he manages the game following the opening series will be telling.

It is also a little surprising to see a player like defensive lineman Kelby Collins have substantially less snaps than his teammates around him. Against Samford last weekend, he logged seven snaps. Funny enough, that is the same amount he logged against Miami as well. 

That is too little of a number for a player as talented as Collins is. It is made even more of a head-scratching decision when you notice this defensive line has been subpar to this point and needs a bolt of energy that Collins could provide if given the chance. 

So, if Napier can start SEC play 1-0, then it is a step in the right direction. However, that won’t make everyone forget the past couple of years he's coached. He will need to win a stretch of games to prove to the boosters and fans alike that he is the man for the job.