Paul Finebaum sets expectations for Billy Napier's first year with Florida Gators

After a 6-7 season and the firing of Dan Mullen, Billy Napier will be taking the helm for the Florida Gators this fall. Plenty of expectations have fallen on Napier to lead Florida to legitimately compete after an up and down decade. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum doesn’t see it that way. In fact, he thinks the Gators need to completely reset their expectations.

On Monday’s ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’, Finebaum said Florida needs to understand what kind of program they are in the present. He thinks it’s been too long since they were at the level they used to be at for them to have the expectations they often do in Gainesville.

“(Florida fans) cannot accept that they are really a mediocre program right now. They can’t accept that,” said Finebaum. “It’s been forever since they won a national championship or an SEC championship.”

Napier will have plenty of pieces to work with. Anthony Richardson will be the expected starter this fall after explosive appearances last season. He’ll have access to other pieces from 2021 as well that were a handful of close finishes away from having a much different record. Even so, Finebaum doesn’t see a way for Napier’s Gators to break into the upper tier of their division early. He sees at least three teams as of now who should finish above Florida.

“They got (Anthony Richardson). They got a lot of skill players. They’re this and they were that so you (just) tend to give them way too much credit,” said Finebaum. “Realistically, how can you put them anywhere above three or four in the SEC East after Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee?”

The SEC schedule waits for no one. Napier will have to hit the ground running during his first season. That work will start on September 3rd when they open in Gainesville with a showdown against Utah.