Florida Gators 15th in preseason AP Top 25
Many believe Billy Napier’s Florida Gators turned the corner in 2024. With plenty of talent back from that squad, UF is getting lots of respect this offseason, and more of it came Monday when the Gators came in at No. 15 in the AP Top 25 preseason rankings.
“These are all fun to cover, but ultimately the games will be played this fall and that will decide who ends the year ranked what,” Napier said Monday.
Florida was 8-5 last season, and returns several key players, notably quarterback DJ Lagway, All-American center Jake Slaughter, running back Jadan Baugh, EDGE Tyreak Sapp, end Caleb Banks and placekicker Trey Smack. Meanwhile, the Gators added key pieces via the transfer portal and recruiting. Lagway has been limited in preseason camp by a calf injury, but the hope in Gainesville is he will be at 100 percent in the near future.
“We absolutely have aspirations to be a playoff team,” Napier said two weeks ago. “That’s the intention of coming here is to win championships. Now, what do we know about that? It’s about the work we do. It’s about today. Okay. It’s not about yesterday or tomorrow. It’s about today. A good today leads to a good week, leads to a good month, leads to a good season, and you look up and count them up at the end of the year.
I think for us it’s about getting the most out of this group. … I think for us we know that the results will be a product of really buying into the process, being present, stacking good days and creating habits that will hold up on game day. So we got a lot of guys that need to establish that we can trust them, and this next month will present that opportunity.”
Texas is the preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The Longhorns, a College Football Playoff participant last season, play at Florida on Oct. 4. Penn State is No. 2.
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Per the AP, “Texas comes in at No. 1 in the preseason poll for the first time in AP Top 25 history, edging out Penn State in the closest preseason vote since 1998.
With 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points, Texas led the Southeastern Conference to its fifth-straight No. 1 spot in the AP preseason poll. Penn State trailed, with 23 first-place votes and 1,537 points.
It’s the Nittany Lions’ highest preseason ranking since 1997, when they ranked No. 1. Expectations are sky high for the Longhorns with quarterback Arch Manning at the helm, undoubtedly the most talked-about quarterback heading into the 2025 season and nephew of gun-slinging prodigies, Peyton and Eli Manning.”
Six other UF opponents begin the season ranked: Georgia (No. 5), LSU (No. 9), Miami (No. 10), Texas A&M (No. 19), Ole Miss (No. 21) and Tennessee (No. 24).
Complete AP Preseason Top 25
- Texas
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Oregon
- Alabama
- LSU
- Miami (FL)
- Arizona State
- Illinois
- South Carolina
- Michigan
- Florida
- SMU
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma
- Texas A&M
- Indiana
- Ole Miss
- Iowa State
- Texas Tech
- Tennessee
- Boise State
