Why nobody knows what to expect from Florida in 2023

Every year in college football, there are programs that garner headlines for both positive and negative reasons. Last season the Nebraska Cornhuskers were one of those teams for all the wrong reasons. At the same time, the TCU Horned Frogs were in the headlines for all the right reasons. Ahead of the upcoming football year, On3’s J.D. PicKell unveiled his list of teams that will make headlines in 2023. And the SEC’s Florida Gators sit atop that list. As the college football expert explained, he believes the Gators will be a headline team this year because nobody knows what to expect from them.

“Look no further than Gainesville, FL,” said PicKell. “Billy Napier and company, what are they going to be? And the reality is nobody has any idea, because you have a very small sample size of what Billy Napier and company have been so far. You’ve got 13 games. New DC, a new quarterback, (and) more depth, supposedly. Vegas has them at 5.5 wins.”

“I’ve said this for the duration of the offseason; it’s okay to not know about Florida. But the fact of the matter is they’re in the SEC. They’re a very visible brand. You got a coach going into year two, (and) you got a transfer portal quarterback. So nobody is going to have a soft opinion on Florida. They’re going to lean one way or the other pretty drastically. It’s okay to not know about them, but we’re gonna know about them here pretty quickly. I think within that first six games this season, we’ll know what we’re going to get from Florida.”

Last season you could make a case for Florida being a headline team for both positive and negative reasons. The Gators had one of the most talented individuals at quarterback in Anthony Richardson, and they started off the year with an upset victory over the eventual Pac-12 champions Utah. But there were some dark spots in 2022. Florida suffered a tough head-scratching loss to the likes of Vanderbilt while also dropping their rivalry game to Florida State to end the year, along with an embarrassing 30-3 defeat at the hands of Oregon State in the Las Vegas bowl.

As PicKell wrapped up his point on Florida, the college football expert doubled down on them being a headline-grabbing team in 2023. The level of volatility surrounding the Gators makes them an intriguing team. And that is why PicKell sees next year going one of two ways for Florida with very little middle ground.

“So Florida (is) a team that absolutely is going to make headlines. Whether it’s because, hey, Florida was a pop team in 2023 and, in Billy Napier’s second year, did a lot of good things, and they were a team that really grabbed headlines for the right reasons. Or it’ll be a Vegas was right on the money about them. And we’re leaning towards five wins for the Gators, and not great news about where Billy Napier is at going into year three for Florida. That could be the headlines we’re dealing with when it comes to the Gators.”

Despite the volatile highs and lows of last season, Florida was still able to pick up six wins and was bowl eligible. However, the Gators program is one of the more prestigious ones in the SEC. It is consistently on a quest for national championships, not just bowl game appearances. So just like the expectation surrounding Florida year in and year out, it’s all or nothing for the Gators in 2023, making them a headline-garnering team.