Thoughts of the Day: June 14, 2025
A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning:
It is called the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder, a section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus spoke of two men, one who built his house on a rock, the other who built his house on sand. When the storms came, the house built on the rock was still standing. The house built on a foundation of sand was swept away.
The parable not only applies to life – with a strong foundation you weather the storms that inevitably come your way – but to football as well. We could point to the Florida Gators as the perfect example. Dan Mullen was fired at the end of the 2021 season because the powers that be at the University of Florida saw a program in decline and mediocrity in the future. Inheriting the remnants of Mullen’s shoddy recruiting, Billy Napier has spent three seasons putting in a foundation that stands on a rock. The first 2-1/2 seasons were the kind that had Florida fans pulling their hair out, wondering how Napier was ever going to keep Gator House from being washed away into a permanent state of losing football. Then came eight sacks of Garrett Nussmeier and a win at The Swamp over LSU followed by a win over Ole Miss a week later. The win over FSU in Tallahassee and the bowl win over Tulane were rewards for a job well done.
So here we are a little less than three months from the start of the 2025 season and rather than the so-called experts explaining why it is Billy Napier won’t last beyond midseason, we find the Gators on the fringe of College Football Playoff expectations. The reason is simple: Napier has put in place a solid foundation that bodes well for the future. Just this past week, ESPN came out with its two-year projections for all 68 schools that make up the power four. Florida, which wasn’t ranked among the top 25 a year ago, is No. 15, which is a very good place to start. At No. 15 the Gators will start the season close enough to get into the CFP mix early and stay there by dealing with a difficult but manageable schedule.
The Gators have exactly what is necessary to win big in 2025. It starts with a stud quarterback in DJ Lagway; SEC caliber offensive and defensive lines; and speed, depth and athleticism across the board at the other positions. For the first time since he became Florida’s head coach, Napier has a real SEC roster and he’s built it from the ground up.
Florida has only seven transfers and only two – punter Tommy Doman (from Michigan) and wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (from UCLA) – figure to have starting roles. When you only need to dip into the portal for one or two plug and play types, you have a solid foundation, one that can sustain success.
It is that strong foundation that helped Napier land a commitment Friday from 4-star running back Carsyn Baker (6-1, 200, Fairburn, GA Langston Hughes). It’s a big recruiting weekend at UF and Napier could land two or three other studs for the 2026 class. On hand and doing his part to help recruit is quarterback Will Griffin (6-3, 225, Tampa, FL Jesuit). When your quarterback who probably won’t see the field until 2027 is on hand helping to recruit, you know your foundation is built on a rock.
ESPN 2-year projections top 25/SEC: 1. Texas; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Oregon; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Penn State; 7. Clemson; 8. LSU; 9. Tennessee; 10. Alabama; 11. Miami; 12. Arizona State; 13. Michigan; 14. SMU; 15. FLORIDA; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Illinois; 18. South Carolina; 19. Iowa State; 20. Indiana; 21. Kansas State; 22. Missouri; 23. Iowa; 24. Louisville; 25. BYU; 27. Oklahoma; 28. Texas A&M; 37. Auburn; 48. Vanderbilt; 52. Kentucky; 55. Arkansas; 59. Mississippi State
247Sports national recruiting rankings for 2025 (as of June 13/SEC teams bold face): 1. Texas; 2. Georgia; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State; 5. Oregon; 6. Michigan; 7. FLORIDA; 8. Auburn; 9. Texas A&M; 10. LSU; 11. Tennessee; 12. Notre Dame; 13. Southern California; 14. Miami; 15. Penn State; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Oklahoma; 18. South Carolina; 19. Missouri; 21. Georgia Tech; 22. Nebraska; 23. Washington; 24. TCU; 25. Maryland; 26. Clemson; 27. Wisconsin; 28. Mississippi State; 29. Kentucky; 30. Duke; 31. SMU; 32. Arkansas; 77. Vanderbilt
2025 transfers to SEC schools: Mississippi State 33; Arkansas 31; Ole Miss 30; Kentucky 26; Missouri 22; Oklahoma 22; Vanderbilt 20; Auburn 19; LSU 18; South Carolina 18; Texas A&M 14; Alabama 12; Texas 11; Georgia 10; Tennessee 7; Florida 7
UF TRACK AND FIELD: Men finish 8th at NCAA championships
The injury bug wasn’t confined to Florida baseball and softball. Mouse Holloway endured a season of injuries on the track, a chief reason the Gators finished eighth at the NCAA championships, ending a three-year run of national titles. The Gators finished fifth in the 4X100 relay Friday night to close out the meet with 22 points, tying Ole Miss and Kentucky. Texas A&M and Southern Cal tied for the national title with 41 points apiece, the same total the Gators won the national championship with last year. Florida was particularly hurt by the absence of sprinter Wanya McCoy, who scored points last year in the 100, 200 and as a member of the 4X100 relay team.
Florida has five entries today in the women’s championship. Although the Gators have only four points through the preliminaries, they could score big with Anthya Charlton in the 100 and running a leg on the 4X100 and Habiba Harris in the 100 hurdles.
A strong finish by the Florida women could move the Gators past Tennessee for sixth place in the Learfield Director’s Cup final standings.
UF BASEBALL IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL
The big news for Florida baseball is a commitment from Jacksonville University center fielder Jaden Bastian, who hit .302 with 11 homers, 10 doubles, five triples, 33 RBI and 36 stolen bases last year. He is the third transfer to commit to the Gators, joining UCF righthander Russell Sandefer and Notre Dame righty Ricky Reeth.
Bastian in the outfield with a healthy Kyle Jones and Hayden Yost could give Kevin O’Sullivan his best defensive outfield in some time.
Florida has also gotten a commitment from righthanded pitcher Aaron Watson of Jacksonville’s Trinity Christian. He signed with Virginia but when Brian O’Connor left Virginia for the head coaching job at Mississippi State, Watson got out of his LOI and committed to the Gators. He is currently listed as the No. 42 prospect for the Major League Baseball Draft. There are rumblings that he will choose college baseball if the money isn’t right in the draft.
Newbies: P Russell Sandefer (SO, from UCF); P Ricky Reeth (SR, from Notre Dame); CF Jaden Bastian (SO, from Jacksonville)
Goners: C/OF Brock Clayton (FR); P Felix Ong (FR); P Nikko Janssens (FR); C Cole Bullen (JR); P Carson Montsdeoca (FR); P Alex Philpott (SO); P Jacob Gomberg (SO)
Freshman All-Americans: RHP Aidan King; INF Brendan Lawson
Gators at the Major League Baseball Draft Combine: RHP Jake Clemente; LHP Pierce Coppola; C Brody Donay; SS Colby Shelton; SS Jordan Yost (Sickles HS, Tampa)
UF SOFTBALL IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL
All-America second baseman Mia Williams has transferred to Texas Tech while outfielders Alyssa Hovermale (South Carolina) and Kylie Shaw (Auburn) have found new homes. Meanwhile Tim Walton has added catcher Ella Wesolowski from Mississippi State and 3B/1B Madison Walker from Missouri. Walker hit 18 home runs and drove in 48 for Mizzou last season.
Newbies: 3B/1B Madison Walker (SO, from Missouri); C Ella Wesolowski (SO, from Mississippi State)
Goners: OF Kylie Shaw (FR, to Auburn); 2B Mia Williams (SO, to Texas Tech); OF Alyssa Hovermale (SO, to South Carolina); C Makenna Bellaire (FR); OF Layla Lamar (FR)
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT
Leave it to CBS to put a chip back on the shoulder of the Florida Gators. Winning the NCAA basketball championship knocked it off, but it’s back where Todd Golden hopes it stays now that CBS has ranked the games of the SEC/ACC Challenge. The marquee game of this year’s challenge will be Florida at Duke and already Duke is being billed as the favorite. Strange since the ACC will be about as weak as it was a season ago and the Southeastern Conference figures to be every bit as strong as it was when it sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Here is what David Cobb of CBS said: “Duke will put its top-ranked high school recruiting classagainst the reigning national champions in a must-see showdown. On a neutral floor, the Gators and their returning convoy of bigs would be the play. At Cameron Indoor Stadium? Well, that's a different story. The Blue Devils have enough veteran savvy to combine with the newbies for what would amount to a critical victory in the ACC's efforts.”
The Gators beat three No. 1 teams last season – Tennessee, Auburn on the road and Auburn again in San Antonio at the NCAA Final Four. While Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin have all moved on to the pros, the Gators are returning Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten in what will be the deepest and most experienced front court in the nation. Thanks to the portal, the Gators will have plenty of firepower and starting experience in Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and AJ Brown.
Yes, the game will be at Cameron Indoor Stadium where Duke has been known to get the benefit of numerous whistles, but the Dookies are beatable on their home court and they won’t have near the experience of the Gators.
You can bet the farm Todd Golden is already preaching disrespect to the Gators.
SEC/ACC Challenge
FLORIDA at Duke
Louisville at Arkansas
North Carolina at Kentucky
North Carolina State at Auburn
Missouri at Notre Dame
Tennessee at Syracuse
SMU at Vanderbilt
Clemson at Alabama
Virginia at Texas
Oklahoma at Wake Forest
Miami at Ole Miss
Texas A&M at Pitt
Mississippi State at Georgia Tech
Georgia at Florida State
LSU at Boston College
Virginia Tech at South Carolina
Gators WILL 'ROAR' & come out CHOMPIN , in both Round Ball & Slobber Knocker Football !
Seems like those 3 months, will be here before we know it !
That's okay. We'll get our chance to knock off Duke that we didn't get last year. But we did beat the team that beat them. Go Gators!
Regarding ESPN’s two-year projections, I would drop Tennessee which goes into this season without a proven QB and questions, at least for me, as to whether or not Josh Heupel can sustain high success. I have doubts about Brian Kelly at LSU, as well. It looks as though he has about a 9-wins ceiling going back to his time at Notre Dame with less demanding schedules than LSU must play. That won’t cut it much longer in Baton Rouge. Also, in 2026-27 SEC schedules will flip. Texas has the easiest again this fall and Florida the toughest. How will the Longhorns do if their slate is reversed in those upcoming years? Maybe, though, the conference will go to four …
Got my 2025 Phil Steele magazine yesterday. Phil doesn’t even have DJ on his 4-deep All-SEC projections. He ranks the best SEC quarterbacks in this order: Garrett Nussmeier, Arch Manning (of course, the greatest since the invention of the forward pass!), LaNorris Sellers and John Mateer. Then he rates our Mr. Lagway as second most likely candidate to win the Heisman. Crazy. The disrespect shown the Gators is akin to feeding raw meat to the live alligators in Lake Alice with an open hand.
Not a huge fan of the supposed acc/SEC challenge and I know the dookies will get all the calls. I will bw pullin for he Gators to give the arrogant dookies a whoopin