What Billy Napier Said on the SEC Teleconference Ahead of LIU

Napier noted that many of the contributors from that stretch of games are returning this season, which helps, but that his focus is on the "30 percent" of the team that are new players so they can continue to build depth.

"I think it's critical that we onboard those guys the right way here as we start the season," he said. "To get the result you want on gameday, you have to execute your process throughout the week a certain way, and I think that's where our focus is at right now."

Defense and Depth

A staple of Florida's strong finish to a year ago was the emergence of the team's defense and depth, which came to the forefront after multiple injuries to main contributors. Now heading into 2025, depth across the board, whether it be returning talent in an expanded role or young stars looking to make an instant impact, stands out defensively.

"I do think that number one, we have more competitive depth than we've ever had, and we also have some veteran players that I think provide really good leadership," Napier said. "We also have Coach Roberts going into year two, which I think we will benefit from and a couple new assistant coaches over there that I think have done a really good job. And don't forget that this is our fourth year in the system. Although we've had different coordinators, I think we've been able to keep the same system intact, and that's helped the players develop."

That depth has finally expanded to the offense, too, where Florida returns most of its contributors from 2024. Throughout the entire team, though, Napier wants to see the group behind those contributors, what he called the "twos and rotational threes" continue to grow.

"We have to get those guys in a place where they know what's coming next and they can execute their plan, and be well-prepared and play with confidence," he said. "In my opinion, that's going to determine how good we can be, is the response of that group here now that we're into the season and they're doing some things that maybe they haven't done before. So, we have work to do."

FSU Remains on the Schedule

The SEC recently announced plans to move to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026 with three permanent opponents and a requirement for at least one Power 4 non-conference opponent on the schedule.

Florida's yearly matchup against FSU qualifies for that requirement, and Napier confirmed as much.

“That game is historical in relevance and certainly it’s not going away," Napier said. "Not only would our people not let that happen but I know their administration, their alumni, their fanbase would feel the same way. I mean we’re going to play that game regardless. If they told us we had 11 conference games we would still play Florida - Florida State. It’s one of the, If not the greatest, one of the greatest rivalries of all time and a pretty special opportunity for both teams each year.”

Mizell Poised for a Breakout?

With a returning starter in Eugene Wilson III, a highly-touted true freshman in Dallas Wilson and a potential star in transfer J. Michael Sturdivant, redshirt sophomore receiver Aidan Mizell has potentially flown under the radar by outsiders in Florida's receiver rotation.

Still, Napier sees the growth the former four-star has made since joining the team in 2023 but also emphasized what he still needs to do to grow as a player, saying his "availability,
his durability, his ability to handle the workload at that position, and then his physicality, his play strength, how he plays without the ball as a blocker" are traits he needs to continue growing.

"We know that he’s a really good player as a run after catch player, as a vertical stretch player," he explained. "He’s capable in those areas, those are his strengths, but I think he needs to continue to develop as a route runner, just the entire route tree inside and outside, and then those things I mentioned before. He brings a lot of great things to the table, but I think he’ll need to continue to work hard on some of those areas where he needs to improve.”