Billy Napier opens up on the strides Florida has made on the recruiting trail

Expectations are placed on a head coach before ever taking a snap, mainly in recruiting. First-year guys have pressure to bring in a top class to bring momentum back into programs, with Florida‘s Billy Napier being the latest example. Being the Gators’ head coach comes with enough but being in a recruiting hotbed, pressure can begin to build.

Thus far, Napier is off to a solid start, already securing nine commitments for the 2023 recruiting class. Three have come within the last week, with defensive back Sharif Denson out of Jacksonville, FL, being the latest. All but one commit have come out of the Sunshine State, proving Napier is setting up a solid foundation near home.

Napier discussed Florida’s progress in the recruiting world recently, saying they are in a “great position” with some of the best players in the country. While he is not allowed to specifically name any players publically, going head to head against some of the top programs is seen as a positive sign to Napier.

“Especially given that we’re a new staff and I do think recruiting is a little bit fast forward,” Napier said. “But no staff in America has worked harder than this group in the last six months. You got a new dynamic, a new place, a new group of people, new recruiting areas. A lot of relationships to build and connect.

“I often say the first year, you’re kind of giving a year of your life away and a lot of that has to do with making up ground in recruiting. So, we’re in great position with some of the best players in the entire country and we’re going up against some of the best programs in the country. So I think that’s a good sign.”

Competing against SEC schools can be difficult, even for a program such as Florida. Add in-state rivals Miami and Florida State into the equation and there’s plenty of competition to go around. Napier has multiple different opponents he strategically has to work against.

Recruiting ‘tests your mental toughness’

Napier went further into his staff’s mentality, saying taking shots is not something the staff will be afraid of. He knows how difficult of a battle recruiting can be but everyone involved with the Florida program is off to a solid start.

“Recruiting is a little bit like baseball, right?,” said Napier. “You got to be willing to swing. You got to be willing to throw punches and keep fighting. It tests your mental toughness, it tests your resiliency. A lot of the things you teach your players, as a competitor, you can apply to yourself and this staff in recruiting.”

Billy Napier sells the Florida program

Selling recruits on why Florida is the right fit for them is ultimately Napier’s job. During the interview, he laid out the reason he thinks the Gators will be successful in recruiting, praising everything the program has to offer. From gameday experience to the backing of the administration, Napier thinks there’s nowhere better in the country.

“I’m telling you what man,” Napier said. “The future is bright. We’ve got an unbelievable product to sell here. The history, the tradition. We’re in a top-five university that has an incredible alumni network. Our location and proximity to players. Gainesville, Florida is a special place and I do believe gameday in the Swamp is one of the most impactful things that we have to sell. We got a facility on the way and administration is committed to our infrastructure and we’ve got the pieces. We got to figure out this NIL puzzle and we’re in the process of working hard at that.

“But I’m convinced more now than ever that we’ve got what it takes to do it here. Again, I go back to the analogy and comparison to the players. It’s about being diligent, it’s about following through, taking action, doing the little things right each day to position ourselves to finish strong in recruiting. Got a lot of confidence in the people we have here to get that done.”

Early national signing day is less than six months away and Napier is aware there is still work to be done if the 2023 class is remembered as a success. However, so far, the head coach is happy with the early results and hopes to continue that momentum into the rest of the summer.