Trio of Gators freshmen impress Billy Napier in fall camp
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When Billy Napier took over as the head coach of the Florida Gators, he made sure his players knew their slate was clean. There would be no preconceived notions based on past behavior or performance. It was a new era, and that meant a fresh start for everyone.
Three freshmen, including a summer enrollee, took that and ran with it during preseason camp.
“We need more players that can play winning football. I think we have some that are in the middle of that process. But I do think that we’ve developed some players, right, that maybe had not played a significant role for the Gators in the past,” Napier said on Wednesday.
“A few off the top of my head would be Tyreak Sapp, Austin Barber. You know, those are two in particular that stand out to me. They’re starters in my mind. They may or may not be a starter on game day, but they’re going to play. There are other players that I think fit into that. I mean, some of the rookies that fit in that category. Shemar James is an exceptional player.
Sapp has been one of the bigger surprises for the Gators. The St. Thomas Aquinas product was a talented recruit, there’s no doubt about that. However, he was late to arrive as a freshman and never came close to playing in 2021.
Sapp had a child in the offseason, which has reformed his attitude and work ethic. He’s working for more than himself now and it’s shown.
“He had a heck of a spring. Just unbelievable football, played great energy, work ethic, always,” defensive line coach Sean Spencer said of Sapp at media day. “He’s a guy that I use as the example a lot of times in the meetings to show ’em how we want to practice. He’s got great a skill set, powerful kid. We’re excited about him.
“No one rises to low expectations, so the expectation is set for him to be one of those ascending players. But obviously, we keep it grounded with that. We’re not going to use that every day. I want him to be consistent just like I’m going to be in teaching.”
Sapp might not start at defensive end — that looks to be Princely Umanmielen’s job right now — but he’ll certainly play a ton as a redshirt freshman.
Shemar James making a statement in Gators linebacker room
The Gators have two veteran starters at linebacker. Ventrell Miller is entering his sixth season, while Amari Burney is back for his fifth. The pair, however, have both missed time in fall camp. Miller spent several practices in a non-contact jersey and missed the first scrimmage. Burney has been in a non-contact jersey and hasn’t practiced for almost two weeks now.
That opened the door at linebacker, and James has taken advantage of it the most.
The true freshman is a loose, fluid mover who finishes tackles with violence. His athleticism and instincts have been readily apparent in the limited time we have seen him at practice. He even appears to be passing up some older players on the depth chart.
“He’s definitely very coachable, has a lot of potential,” Miller said of James. “We just gotta keep getting him to learn, be a little bit faster in his calls and recognition and stuff. But definitely a guy with a lot of potential. I like to see it.”
