ESPN Projects Florida’s 2025 Bowl Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 5:59 PM ET

The Florida Gators enter the 2025 college football season with their highest expectations since Billy Napier took over as head coach three years ago. Florida is ranked No. 15 in the preseason AP Top 25, which marks its first birth in the preseason poll since 2021.

Much of the hopes and expectations surrounding the Gators have to do with the emergence of star sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway. The former five-star led Florida to four-straight victories to end last year, including a Gasparilla Bowl win.

On Friday, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach gave their College Football Playoff and bowl game predictions for the upcoming season. Where they placed Florida may surprise Gator Nation.

Bonagura projected that Florida will face off against the Kansas Jayhawks in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. As for Schlabach, he predicted the Gators to play the Duke Blue Devils in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both of these games would be played on Jan. 2, 2026.

Neither of these predictions will likely sit well with the Florida faithful. Gators fans are hoping for the program's first appearance in the College Football Playoff this season.

Florida finished with an 8-5 record last year, including its aforementioned four-game winning streak to end the season. The Gators have a great deal of returning talent on both sides of the ball.

Along with Lagway on offense, Florida returns running back Jadan Baugh, who has impressed the coaching staff this offseason, wide receiver Eugene Wilson III, and first-team All-American center Jake Slaughter, among others. On defense, the Gators bring back a pair of stoppers on the line in EDGE Tyreak Sapp and tackle Caleb Banks.

These returners, along with a plethora of newcomers Napier brought in, will look to prove these college football experts wrong and help Florida make a surprise push for a CFP birth.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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