Under-coached: That's what the NFL Draft tells us about the Napier years at UF
If you weren’t already convinced then the National Football League Draft proved conclusively the Florida Gators were under-coached the last four years. Seven Gators were taken in the 2206 draft which concluded Saturday afternoon, one in each of the seven rounds. That is tied for fourth in the SEC, more than 10 other schools in the most competitive and talented league in the country. Nationally, only nine other schools had more players drafted than Florida and four others who had seven each.
Here are the Florida draft picks and the round in which they were selected: (1) NT Caleb Banks, Minnesota; (2) C Jake Slaughter, Los Angeles Chargers; (3) OT Austin Barber, Cleveland; (4) CB Devin Moore, Dallas; (5) EDGE George Gumbs Jr., Indianapolis; (6) PK Trey Smack, Green Bay; (7) P Tommy Dorman, Buffalo. Expect a handful of players will be offered free agent deals in the next few days.
It should be noted that Slaughter, Barber, Moore and Smack were leftovers from Dan Mullen. Counting those four, during Billy Napier’s reign 12 Mullen-recruited players were drafted and another five signed free agent deals and spent at least one year on an NFL roster.
Banks (from Memphis), Gumbs (from Northern Illinois) and Dorman (from Michigan) all transferred in. Of the 21 players drafted during the Napier years, 12 were Mullen recruits and the other nine transferred in. Three former Gators were drafted: DT Chris McClellan (from Kentucky), WR Caleb Douglas (from Texas Tech) and OG Jalen Farmer (from Kentucky). All three were Napier recruits who were developed into NFL draftworthy somewhere else.
In four years on the job, not one Florida player recruited and developed by Billy Napier was drafted. That is not only a fact, but an indictment.
With the rules completely out of hand, transfers are simply a regular part of the college football landscape, but sustaining a winning program does require sound recruiting and good player development. Florida had three losing seasons and only one winner in Napier’s four years on the job. While he did bring in some quality transfers including O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo, second round 2023), Ricky Pearsall (San Francisco, first round 2024) and Chimere Dike (Tennessee, fourth round 2025, Pro Bowl), there were far more busts than successes from the portal. Not enough successful talent from the portal and not enough good players recruited and developed equals a 4-year recipe for a sub-.500 record.
Considering the lack of offensive success in the Napier years, two quarterbacks (Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis first round; Graham Mertz, Houston sixth round) were drafted along with three wide receivers (Justin Shorter, Buffalo fifth round; Pearsall, San Francisco first round; Dike, Tennessee fourth round). The lack of points (Gators never averaged 30 points a game in the last four years) with that kind of talent available points a finger at Napier, who insisted on calling the plays and running the offense. There were numerous special teams blunders, yet three kickers from the Napier era were drafted (P Jeremy Crawshaw; PK Smack; P Dorman). Offensive ineptitude, special teams mistakes. There was talent but the lack of winning speaks volumes that the Gators were under-coached.
Under-coached. That’s a kind way of saying Napier and his staff failed miserably. The lack of a single recruited and developed player taken in the draft not only speaks to the lack of success by Napier, but is a firm indicator of the monumental task facing Jon Sumrall, who is charged with picking up the pieces and doing a complete rebuild of the UF program.
THE SEC REMAINS THE TOP PRODUCER OF NFL TALENT
“The report of my death was an exaggeration.” – Mark Twain
Those reports running ever so wild that last rites have been read for the Southeastern Conference are also an exaggeration. Yes, it’s true that the SEC hasn’t won a national championship nor put a team in the College Football Playoff semifinals in football since Georgia did the second of its back-to-backs in 2022. In that span, the Big Ten (plus eight) has won three in a row. Throw in Michigan’s national championship in basketball and it is understandable that the folks up north feel as if they’ve overtaken the SEC.
The championships are very real, but if you are inclined to think the SEC is on a ventilator about now, then check out Exhibit A, also known as the recently concluded National Football League Draft. While it is true the Big Ten (plus eight) won the first round – 10 first rounders to the SEC’s seven – the SEC put a stomping on its 18-team (does it mean there are 10 snooty schools and eight wannabes?) rival.
The numbers don’t lie.
SEC: 87, which breaks the all-time record.
Big Ten (plus eight): 68, which is three fewer than last year.
ACC: 38
Big 12: 38
Independents): 7, which is Notre Dame 6, UConn 1.
American: 4
MAC: 4
Mountain West: 3
Sun Belt: 2
Missouri Valley (D1AA): 2
Southland (D1AA): 2
Conference USA: 1
If the SEC is trending downward, then why is it the league once again sent more to the NFL than the Big Ten, ACC or Big 12? The argument for the Big Ten is all about championships, but let’s get real here. Does anyone with a functioning brain think a Big Ten schedule is easier than the SEC? And, the SEC just got tougher by going to a 9-game schedule.
The talent is still in the SEC and it will continue to flow in the SEC direction. Think of the championship drought as a speed bump. Remember this: Since 1992, six different Southeastern Conference teams have won 17 national championships. Oklahoma won one in 2000 and Texas won one in 2006, but that was when they were members of the Big 12.
During that same time frame, the Big Ten has won six.
Here is the school by school breakdown of draft choices from the SEC: Alabama (10); Texas A&M (10); Georgia (8); FLORIDA (7); Texas (7); LSU (7); Missouri (6); Oklahoma (6); Auburn (5); Tennessee (5); Arkansas (4); Kentucky (4); South Carolina (3); Mississippi State (2); Ole Miss (2); Vanderbilt (1).
Here is the school by school breakdown of draft choices from the Big Ten: Ohio State (11); Indiana (8); Penn State (8); Oregon (7); Washington (7); Iowa (7); Michigan (6); Southern California (3); Illinois (3); Michigan State (2); Northwestern (2); Maryland (1); Nebraska (1); Rutgers (1); Minnesota (1).
Here is the school by school breakdown of draft choices from the ACC: Miami (9); Clemson (9); Boston College (4); Duke (3); Georgia Tech (2); Stanford (2); Wake Forest (2); Louisville (1); Florida State (1); SMU (1); Pittsburgh (1); California (1).
Here is the school by school breakdown of draft choices from the Big 12: Texas Tech (9); Arizona State (4); Arizona (4); Cincinnati (4); TCU (3); Utah (3); Kansas (2); Baylor (2); Kansas State (2); BYU (2); Iowa State (1); UCF (1); Houston (1).
Everybody else: Notre Dame (6); Navy (2); North Dakota State (2); UConn (1); Memphis (1); East Carolina (1); Toledo (1); Miami Ohio (1); Buffalo (1); San Diego State (1); Boise State (1); New Mexico (1); Georgia State (1); Louisiana (1); Southeastern Louisiana (1); Stephen F. Austin (1); Middle Tennessee State (1).
fsu another grossly undercoached school, happily they kept their version of wm nappier.
Billy Napier’s tenure and overdue departure, for all of us who survived it, reminds me of the late great Southern comedian Brother Dave Gardner who answered the important question in his affected Tennessee twang:
“Whar’s the best place you can be in a time of nucleat attack? … Anywhar you can say five seconds later, ‘Whut wuz that!’”
Just so glad the Napier era is over.
We wasted four seasons on the least competent head coach of my 75-year life, as I was born during Bob Woodruff’s inaugural season. I’m thankful that many of us wizened old Gators have lived long enough to see the arrival of Jon Sumrall, a qualified and quality head ball coach.
half assed u only had 1 player drafted - ONE!!! And only 3 in the last 2 years