We find ourselves in the middle of the Gators’ week off. This week is the University’s Spring Break, and there will be no practices taking place. Once this break concludes, it won’t be long until the Orange and Blue Game. After four practices, there have certainly been some storylines to watch. Young players stepping up, injuries to watch, and a new coaching staff have provided loads of talking points. As many Gator fans know, this is the year for Billy Napier. After finishing the 2024 season with four straight wins, the Gators have finally garnered some momentum. However, another challenging schedule looms. With two of the first four games coming against power four opponents, the Gators will be tested early. With this being the Gators’ week off, it is the perfect time to rest up for the impending challenges.
Talking Points and Storylines to Monitor
Injury Concerns?
As mentioned in a previous article, quarterback DJ Lagway has not been at full speed. Dealing with some nagging injuries, he has not been throwing in camp. More of a precaution, Napier does not want to risk the center of his offense. Suffering a hamstring injury last year, he saw what the offense was like without him. Perhaps not a full go for Spring, fans should not be concerned about these injuries. Wide receiver Tre Wilson decided to return to Gainesville despite a disappointing 2024 campaign. After only four appearances, Wilson had to undergo hip surgery. Now looking to breakthrough as the top receiver, he is still limited. Hitting the weight room hard, he has put on six pounds of muscle. This should help prevent any future injuries. Despite being somewhat limited, he should be full go soon, and ready to showcase the talent that excites many Gator fans.
Freshmen Ready?
The Gators’ freshmen receivers have a chance to be a special group. Headlined by Dallas Wilson, there are three players who could see early playing time. Vernell Brown III and Naeshaun Montgomery have also been turning some heads. As mentioned before, offensive coordinator Russ Callaway and strength coach Tyler Miles are certainly excited about these freshmen. The Gators should be fielding one of the deepest receiver rooms in the SEC. With at least eight starting-caliber players, this will be an exciting training camp battle. Welcoming in J. Michael Sturdivant from the transfer portal, this should be a new-look unit. The Gators do return contributors Tre Wilson and Aidan Mizell. Wilson garnered SEC freshman honors before suffering an injury this past season. This is a deep position group, and there is no reason to believe that the freshmen won’t have an early impact.
New Coaching Staff
Despite building momentum, the Gators were hit by a gut punch earlier this offseason. Secondary coach Will Harris abruptly left the program after a successful first season. Adding salt to the wound, he left for the Miami Hurricanes. This will only fuel the fire when the two teams square off early in the season. The Gators quickly replaced Harris, adding a new corners coach and a new safeties coach. An in-depth analysis of these hires was explained in a previous article. For now, fans will be monitoring how the secondary looks for the Orange and Blue Game. Devin Moore should finally be healthy, and Cormani McClain has been turning heads. At safety, the Gators return most of their production, which should be a strong unit. If McClain can help replace Jason Marshall Jr.’s output, this could be a scary secondary.
Leaders of the Locker Room
One name that has been repeatedly mentioned is Tyreak Sapp. The senior defensive lineman decided to push off his NFL aspirations for one more season. A true Gator, Sapp chose to return to give this program his full service. One of the highest-graded Gator players had a productive 2024 campaign. Finishing with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss, he is now looking to take the next step. On offense, despite his age, quarterback DJ Lagway has emerged as a vocal leader. The anchor of this offense, he displays maturity rarely seen from rising sophomores. When Graham Mertz went down with an injury, he never blinked, stepping up and playing well. Now, this is fully his team. Whether it be through pregame speeches or simply leading by example, he has made his mark already. Both Sapp and Lagway will need to fire up their teammates for the 2025 season.
Final Thoughts
After some early Spring Practices, the Gators are now on their week off. Plenty of players have been making an early statement. However, despite being a young team, there are some holes on the roster that need to be filled. The Gators lost some veteran talent to the NFL, and that is not always easy to replace. Luckily, this is a deep roster for Napier, and even some freshmen are turning heads. This is the most critical season of Napier’s tenure, and it could make or break his career. After two subpar seasons, the Gators finally found a rhythm late last year. Now, even with another tough schedule, there can be no excuses. Napier must be in playoff contention, or the Gators will be searching elsewhere. For the Gators players, they must take advantage of this week off, as it will be a grind once they return.
Main Photo: Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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