Napier on Young Players' Involvement in Bowl Game

A new NCAA rule allows athletes to participate in bowl games without it affecting collegiate eligibility, and the Florida Gators plan to take advantage of it against Tulane.

Sep 7, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back KD Daniels (21) rushes with the ball past Samford Bulldogs defensive end Jordan Russell (42) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

As the Florida Gators prepare to take on Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec.20, it seems like some of the team's younger and more inexperienced players might receive an opportunity to prove themselves.

By now, Florida’s productive group of underclassmen has already begun to earn national attention. The Gators resurgence throughout the second half of the season coincided with the emergence of dynamic true freshmen DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh.

While Lagway and Baugh have already established themselves as key pieces of the program’s future, a recent NCAA rule change now also allows redshirt players to participate in postseason play.  Gators head coach Billy Napier says that earning in-game reps during the bowl game will be a meaningful experience to some of the teams younger players.

“There'll be some opportunities with the portal for some of those young guys to get some valuable snaps,” said Napier. “So this is a big deal. For me, the timeline is a blessing to some degree.”

One younger player with the potential to see some game action is true freshman tight end Amir Jackson. The four-star recruit out of Statesboro, Georgia has seen the field in just three games this year, but the tight-end room will be down a man after redshirt sophomore Arlis Boardingham announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.

According to Napier, Jackson has made some encouraging improvements since arriving in Gainesville.

“He's really made a lot of progress. He's tough. He still has a ton of room for growth. He's improving as a route runner, just his overall knowledge of the system,” said Napier. He’s not scared. He's  physical. Every day I see him get a little bit better.”

With over a week to prepare, Napier has gone back to the basics to ensure that his younger players are fundamentally sound ahead of the bowl game.

“We’re really working on fundamentals, tackling, takeaways, ball security, a lot of individual time, and then reiterating the importance of the fundamentals of the game,” said Napier.

The game will be played live on ESPN 2 on Friday, Dec 20 at 3:30 p.m.