Florida Gators Slow Start in Transfer Portal, Time to Worry?

The Florida Gators are off to a slow start in the transfer portal, but a few big names could change that quickly.

The Florida Gators are off to a slow start in the transfer portal, but they are big-game hunting for players like Oklahoma WR Nic Anderson. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Gainesville, Fla. – While there is still a bowl game to play for the Florida Gators, much of the talk surrounding this team has been focused on improving the roster through the transfer portal. They have some holes on this roster that need to be filled, and the portal offers teams the opportunity to immediately find answers. 

Yet, there has been little to no action on this front by Gators and head coach Billy Napier. Sure, they’ve gotten some visits. However, outside of a commitment from a punter, nothing has come to fruition. 

So, is this slow burn approach by Napier and his staffers going to come back and bite them?

Potentially. 

With the news coming out that visits were unlikely to take place for this upcoming week due to their bowl game and the practices that go along with it, it only left this past week open for transfers to take a visit to Gainesville. 

Additionally, there was the report that the Gators would be big spenders this offseason and that they clearly wouldn’t be outbid for any player that they feel is necessary to have. 

As a result of the spending news, their name is in the running for multiple high ranking transfers, but that alone won’t get them over the finish line. They need to get visits to complete the job. 

For example, one big name they are in contention for is former Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson.  Anderson currently ranks as the No. 8 overall transfer in the portal according to 247Sports. 

It was said that two teams to watch out for were for the wide receiver are Texas A&M and Florida. However, only one of those teams received a visit, and it wasn’t the Gators. He also set up a visit to LSU. 

If Napier expects to continue winning like they have done to end the season, then he and the Gators need to begin making noise in the portal. You can’t constantly rely on nailing your evaluations on diamonds in the rough, even if you have been above average at it in certain positions. 

Napier is at the University of Florida. Being at this school allows you to spend NIL money and be aggressive for the most talented players at both the high school level and in the transfer portal. 

Yes, he might be waiting for the bowl season to end so that those on teams involved in bowls can enter the portal. But is that a smart decision from Napier? 

He can’t sit idle for too long though. When you have young-offensive talents like DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh, you need to give them help to maximize their talents. Lagway needs some more big bodied receivers and could use an offensive lineman or two. 

On the other side of the ball, the defense showed that they can be more than capable of stopping high-powered offenses. This side just needs a couple of pieces like an experienced safety or additional cornerback. 

Fill these holes, and this team can be dangerous in 2025. Don’t fill them, well, we’ve all seen how that can go.