Florida Gators Football

Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier's team is off to a rough start to the 2024-25 season with Saturday's 41-17 blowout loss to Miami.

As Florida's deficit climbed to more than 20 points during the third quarter in Gainesville, college football fans began questioning Napier's future with the team.

Florida is 2-9 vs Teams that finished ranked under Billy Napier

Florida has lost 6 consecutive football games under Billy Napier

Florida hasn’t won a Home Game since October 7th, 2023

Florida is 1-10 vs rival teams under Billy Napier
That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/zxqg41JLaU

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 31, 2024

Billy Napier might not even make it out of August.

— Abnormal Accrual (@bbm010) August 31, 2024

There’s absolutely no way Billy Napier makes it through the season

— Logan Lawson (@bbnlog) August 31, 2024

Reminder: Florida fired a coach who won 30 games in his first three years to hire Billy Napier.

— Brandon Walker (@BFW) August 31, 2024

"It's embarrassing, to be quite honest with you," Napier told reporters after the game. "That's how I feel. That's how our kids feel. There's no excuses. Keep our mouths shut, show up and work. We have to do better. I do think that our players will show up and they will respond."

He added:

"I still have confidence in our team. I think we've made progress. Today is disappointing, not only for myself but for the entire team and organization and for our fans and for all the people that care about this place. Like I said before, I've got conviction about the young men that we have on our team. I think we have better football in us. But we have to go prove that."

Napier is heading into his third season with Florida after compiling a 11-14 record and one Las Vegas Bowl loss over his first two years with the team.

Previous Florida coach Dan Mullen, who went 35-15 over three seasons while taking the Gators to the SEC championship game, was fired in November 2021.

Mullen reposted criticism of the decision to fire him on X during the Gators' Saturday loss, per On3:

Former Florida coach Dan Mullen's latest retweet😬https://t.co/LT52ygZFu9 pic.twitter.com/yyBd36yojl

— On3 (@On3sports) August 31, 2024

After parting ways with Mullen, Florida brought Napier to Gainesville in 2021 on a seven-year, $51.8 million contract.

He has received $14.3 million over the first two years of the deal, leaving $37.5 million left on the table, per ESPN's Pete Thamel and On3's Grant Grubbs.

According to the terms of the contract, Florida would be required to pay Napier 85 percent of his remaining contract should the deal be terminated, per Thamel and Grubbs.

That will total than $26 million if Napier is terminated this season, according to Thamel. Florida would be required to pay 50 percent of that total within 30 days of termination, per Grubbs.

Billy Napier’s buyout is 85% of his remaining contract.

He’s owed $26m+.

Saved you a google

— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) August 31, 2024

The bad news for Florida- Billy Napier's buyout is $26 million.

The worse news - Even if you have the money, Scott Stricklin, who has hired the last two football coaches, would in theory be hiring the next one as well.

Not. Ideal.

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) August 31, 2024

Another wrinkle to any potential buyout of Napier is the July installment of Dr. Kent Fuchs as the university's interim president. Fuchs hired current athletic director Scott Stricklin in 2016, as noted by On3's Jesse Simonton.

One of the *most* under-discussed developments around Billy Napier’s “hot seat talk” are the current university politics at Florida.

President just resigned, interim is old President who hired Stricklin (and Napier).

They’re not in a place to currently make a change. https://t.co/l6iQwjvEgN

— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) August 31, 2024

Saturday's loss was the first time Florida has lost a home opener since 1989. The blowout also set a program record for points allowed in a home opener, per Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.

First home loss to open a season for the Gators since 1989.

That was the longest streak in college football.

Gators were in throes of NCAA probation in 1989.

Galen Hall was fired after 5 games.

— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) August 31, 2024

I was a junior at UF in 1979. The Gators went 0-10-1. Bama came to Florida Field and won 40-0.

That was 45 years ago. Can’t remember my team ever feeling that helpless since.

Until …

— Frank Frangie (@Frank_Frangie) August 31, 2024

Napier and the Gators will look to earn their first win of the season next Saturday against Samford before embarking on a tough fall schedule that includes matchups with powerhouses like Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.

The Florida Gators earned a much-needed recruiting win on Sunday.

Wide receiver Vernell Brown III—who 247Sports' composite rankings ranks as a 5-star prospect and the No. 25 overall player and No. 6 wide receiver in the class of 2025—chose the Gators over Ohio State, Florida State and Miami, per Manny Navarro of The Athletic.

There were family ties when it came to Florida, as Brown's father, Vernell Jr., played cornerback for the Gators. He also previously worked as the program's senior director of player development.

"Everybody was supportive of the decision, but they were going to support me wherever I went," Brown said, per John Garcia Jr. of Rivals. "With their ties to the University, I would assume it hit a little different for them.

"But this was my process and it had nothing to do with what they did before. Ultimately, I'm going to Florida because that's where I wanted to go. To pick one was extremely hard, but there is a relief. You pick one and you roll with it."

That is welcome news for Florida, which is just 62nd in the country in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

That ranking places them between Louisville and Illinois, which are not exactly the types of programs the Gators need to be living around if they are going to challenge the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas in the loaded SEC.

Perhaps Brown's commitment will give them some recruiting momentum to build on with plenty of time remaining before the class is finalized.

He is also someone who is talented enough to see the field right away with game-changing speed and the ability to thrive in the slot. If he capitalizes on that potential and overall talent, this will be a critical recruiting win for Florida for years to come.

For the seventh time since May 10th, Baby Gronk has announced a commitment.

After committing to play for Georgia on Saturday, Baby Gronk announced on social media Sunday that he has pledged to play for Florida.

BABY GRONK FLIPS TO FLORIDA pic.twitter.com/rU2ecS4PD9

— BABY GRONK (@BabyGronk5) June 2, 2024

Madden San Miguel, the viral sensation more commonly known as Baby Gronk, has made a carousel of commitments over the last few weeks.

Baby Gronk revealed his top 30 list in early May and has already committed to seven of those schools. So far, he has made pledges to Ohio State, Michigan, Colorado, Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia and now the Gators.

BABY GRONKS TOP 30 ! pic.twitter.com/xRkBmxatJ1

— BABY GRONK (@BabyGronk5) May 2, 2024

Though Baby Gronk, or those in charge of his social media accounts, claim the 11-year-old has committed to several schools, those pledges do not mean any of those schools have actually offered him a scholarship.

His father, Jake San Miguel, claims he has "one real offer" from Arizona, per The Athletic's Ari Wasserman.

Baby Gronk seems dedicated to playing football at the next level, but he still has a long way to go as he won't graduate high school until 2031. In the meantime, it could be best for him to focus on enjoying youth sports.

The Florida Gators have gotten its first commitment for the 2026 football recruiting class

Four-star quarterback Will Griffin announced on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he was committing to Florida.

It’s Time. Great Day to be a FLORIDA GATOR! Proud to be the first 2026! 100% Committed. Go Gators! ✝️ 🐊 @coach_bnapier @CoachRyanO @GatorsFB @JesuitTigers_FB @Blake_Alderman @Corey_Bender @Jason_Higdon @AndrewSpiveyGC @TheUCReport @CraigHaubert @JohnGarcia_Jr pic.twitter.com/vTBZNZK24b

— Will Griffin 4⭐️ 2026 QB (@WillGriffin__11) June 1, 2024

The quarterback had a long list of scholarship offers, including from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and more.

Griffin said that the relationship he developed with the coaching staff and the complex offense the program runs,

"It's not like a little baby offense, it's real deal complex," Griffin said, per Blake Alderman of 247 Sports. "You better know what you are doing. They are trying to run an SEC team here, and I think they have done a great job picking it up. It's impressive to see how things translate from the film room, to the install, to the field."

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Griffin possesses a 6'3", 225-pound frame and hails from Tampa. He led Jesuit High School to a 10-3 record as a sophomore in 2023.

He will not be the only high-profile quarterback joining the roster in the near future, as five-star quarterback D.J. Lagway is the team's crown jewel of the 2024 class. This means that Griffin is likely third in the line of succession for the Gators if he continues to develop properly.

Florida is looking to get back to prominence in the near future after a few down seasons. The Gators went 5-7 in 2023 and have not had a double-digit win total since the 2019 season.

Florida head coach Billy Napier has made his first public comments since former recruit Jaden Rashada filed a lawsuit against Napier and at least one major booster for the school that alleged they defrauded him by backing out of a name, image and likeness deal after he committed to the program.

Speaking to reporters at the SEC spring meetings Tuesday, Napier said "I'm comfortable with my actions" and thanked the university for its support as the legal process remains ongoing.

Napier did note he couldn't comment specifically about the lawsuit.

Rashada alleged in the lawsuit he was promised $13.9 million by the Gators after turning down offers from other programs.

One of the allegations states Rashada signed his letter of intent on Dec. 21, 2022, shortly after Napier made a promise to Rashada's father for a $1 million "partial payment" on that same day upon signing.

Rashada stated in the lawsuit he never received the $1 million payment, and Florida boosters never fulfilled their end of the deal.

Attorney Rusty Hardin, who is representing Rashada, issued a statement to the Associated Press about the lawsuit:

"Sadly, this type of fraud is becoming more commonplace in the Wild West that is today's college NIL landscape. Wealthy alumni, consumed by their schools' athletic programs, are taking advantage of young people by offering them life-changing sums of money, only to renege on their commitments. As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against this egregious behavior, Jaden seeks to hold these defendants accountable for their actions and to expose their as-yet unchecked abuse of power."

The AP noted Rashada is seeking a jury trial and at least $10 million in damages.

Rashada initially committed to play at the University of Miami where he had a reported $9.5 million NIL agreement in June 2022. He flipped his commitment to Florida six months later, but was granted a release from his letter of intent in January 2023 after the reported NIL deal fell through.

The NCAA also opened an investigation into Florida's recruitment of Rashada earlier this year.

Rashada enrolled at Arizona State the following month and played last season with the Sun Devils. He entered the transfer portal in April and committed to Georgia.

Napier is entering his third season as Florida's head coach. He owns an 11-14 record over the past two years after going 40-12 in four seasons at Louisiana from 2018 to '21.

Quarterback Jaden Rashada filed a lawsuit Tuesday against University of Florida head football coach Billy Napier and Florida booster Hugh Hathcock, among other parties, alleging unpaid name, image and likeness (NIL) money.

According to ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Dan Murphy, Rashada alleges in the lawsuit that he was promised $13.85 million in total NIL money related to his Florida commitment. That included Napier allegedly promising Rashada's father a $1 million partial payment on the day Rashada signed with Florida, but the money was reportedly never received.

As a result of his NIL deal with Florida falling through, Rashada received a release from his Florida letter of intent last year and signed with Arizona State instead. After starting three games for the Sun Devils last season, Rashada transferred to Georgia in April.

Rashada's lawsuit states:

"Sadly, unethical and illegal tactics like this are more and more commonplace in the Wild West that is today's college football landscape. As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against such egregious behavior by adults who should know better, Jaden seeks to hold Defendants accountable for their actions and to expose the unchecked abuse of power that they shamelessly wielded."

It is also noted that by committing to Florida, Rashada had to decommit from Miami and turn down a $9.5 million NIL deal he had been promised.

The lawsuit states that Hathcock gave Rashada $150,000 so he could pay back money given to him by Miami booster John Ruiz, who was part of the $9.5 million offer from Miami. That was allegedly the only payment Rashada received from Florida.

Ruiz, who is the founder of LifeWallet, provided a statement to On3's Pete Nakos, denying that he was part of a $9.5 million offer to Rashada via Miami:

"LifeWallet nor John H. Ruiz ever had any deal with Rashada that amounted to $9.5 million. LifeWallet had a very small deal with Rashada while he was a big school student in California. Rashada and his father are stand up individuals.

"To date, I personally have a very good relationship with both. They both know we dealt with them honestly and fairly as we have always done with all NIL players. LifeWallet has a track record of complying with all of its NIL deals. LifeWallet was repaid by those controlling the Gators fundraising efforts. While I have my own view of this matter, at this point the interests of this young man should be the focus."

Included in the lawsuit are text messages from former Florida director of player engagement and NIL Marcus Castro-Walker, who is no longer with the school but is named in the lawsuit.

The texts to Rashada's NIL agent read: "You already know what we need to do over the next few days. Get us the QB," and "We need to lock down Jaden!"

It is alleged that Castro-Walker later "threatened" that Napier "might walk away" from Rashada if he didn't sign his letter of intent.

In the lawsuit, it is stated that Rashada's agents advised him not to sign with Florida since he still hadn't been provided a written contract regarding the NIL agreement, but Rashada decided to sign after being promised the $1 million payment.

Rashada reportedly had a contract in place with Hathcock eventually, and per The Athletic, which reviewed a copy of the contract, it called for Rashada to receive a $500,000 signing bonus, followed by monthly payments in subsequent years.

The $13.85 million was terminated less than one month after he committed to Florida. Sources told Lavigne and Murphy that a provision in the contract said it could be terminated only with cause, but no reason was given for the termination.

After moving on from Florida and joining Arizona State, Rashada completed 53.7 percent of his passes for 485 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in three games as a freshman last season.

It is believed that Rashada is the first college athlete to sue a coach or booster due to a dispute related to NIL payments.

Cornerback Cormani McClain is transferring to Florida after one season at Colorado, his agent told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg on Wednesday.

McClain was rated as a 5-star recruit by 247Sports, as well as the No. 14 overall player and No. 1 cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class.

He chose to play under Pro Football Hall of Fame corner Deion Sanders at Colorado, and as a freshman in 2023, McClain started four of the nine games he appeared in, recording 13 tackles and two passes defended.

Upon entering the transfer portal after the 2023 season, 247Sports rated McClain as the No. 21 overall transfer and the No. 5 cornerback in the portal.

Last month, McClain became the ninth Colorado player to enter the transfer portal following Sanders' first season as the head coach in Boulder.

Per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren and Rittenberg, Coach Prime suggested last September that McClain wasn't doing enough to earn playing time, saying: "Study and prepare. Be on time for meetings, show up to meetings. Understand the scheme. I check film time from each player, so I can see who's preparing. So, if I don't see that, you would be a fool to put somebody out there who's not prepared."

The Buffaloes were the talk of college football last season after starting 3-0, but they struggled mightily thereafter, finishing 4-8.

While quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter thrived individually amid the team's struggles, many others struggled to find a defined role, including McClain.

Now, McClain will return to his home state, as he starred at Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida, before committing to Colorado.

At 6'2" and 165 pounds, McClain is a long, athletic corner who 247Sports' Andrew Ivins compares to Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen, and Ivins also projects him as a future first-round pick.

Florida is a storied program that has enjoyed enormous success over the years, but much like Colorado, the past few years have been a struggle for the Gators.

The Gators have finished with a sub-.500 record in each of the past three seasons, including a 5-7 mark last season, resulting in them missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2017.

Florida ranks 13th in recruiting and eighth in the transfer market for the 2024 season, per 247Sports, providing hope that a turnaround could be on the horizon.

Former Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain is reportedly set to visit Florida as he continues exploring his options in the transfer portal.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported the visit will happen in the "near future," though no date has been set.

Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported McCalin visited Florida on Friday and is expected to make another trip during the upcoming week:

A source tells @On3sports that McClain visited Gainesville on Friday and is expected back sometime this week. https://t.co/EwPm3qVwBp

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) May 11, 2024

McClain was the nation's top-rated cornerback coming out of high school and the No. 14 overall prospect in the 2023 class. He played sparingly during his lone season under Deion Sanders, recording 13 total tackles and one pass defensed.

It did not appear McClain enjoyed his time in Colorado, either, throwing shade at the program after announcing he was entering the portal.

"Some people just gotta take a step back from things sometimes, certain people, you know," McClain said. "I feel like I just don't want to play for clicks. I actually want to be involved with a great leading program that's going to develop players."

McClain did not do much to help his stock at Colorado, as he dropped from a 5-star to a 4-star prospect and was only the fifth-rated cornerback in the portal. Sanders said maturity was an issue for McClain, noting he was not always committed to putting in work.

"I'm always in prayer for young men, and I want the best for them," Sanders told DNVR. "And I pray to God that he goes to a program that challenges him as well as holds him accountable and develops him as a young man. Unfortunately, we weren't the program that could accomplish that."

"I'm always in prayer for young men, and I want the best for them," Sanders told DNVR. "And I pray to God that he goes to a program that challenges him as well as holds him accountable and develops him as a young man. Unfortunately, we weren't the program that could accomplish that.

McClain is the top remaining player left on the transfer market yet to make his decision by a significant margin. No other top-50 player is yet to lock in their next school of choice, according to 247Sports.

The Florida Gators routinely send a host of players to the NFL, regardless of whether the team is coming off a good season.

Twelve Gators have gone in the first three rounds of the NFL draft since 2020, including five first-rounders, with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson being the last one in 2023 at No. 4 overall.

This year is a different story, though. Only two Florida Gators (wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and interior offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun) landed on the B/R NFL Scouting Department's big board.

It's an unusual development for the Gators, who have seen 101 players get drafted since 2006, the first year after ex-head coach (and two-time national champion in Florida) Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville.

At any rate, Pearsall leads the way for the Gators' prospects. He finished with 65 receptions for 965 yards and four touchdowns.

The former Arizona State Sun Devil, who transferred to Florida in 2022, is ranked 73rd overall on the B/R big board and 14th among wideouts in a loaded class at the position.

Pearsall's long speed and hands give him the tools to blossom into a useful NFL receiver," B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen wrote.

"However, his slight frame and uninspiring change-of-direction skills could give him a steep learning curve early on. Pearsall should be used similar to how the Jacksonville Jaguars deploy Christian Kirk."

Eguakun, who is from Jacksonville, is a three-year starting center. He earned his bachelor's degree in criminology and masters degree in tourism and hospitality management during his time in school. Unfortunately, ankle injuries curtailed his final season, holding him to four starts.

Here's a look at how the NFL draft has shaken out so far with a view on the Florida players themselves.

Florida Draft Prospect List

WR Ricky Pearsall: San Francisco 49ers (Round 1, Pick 31)

IOL Kingsley Eguakun

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List via NFL.com.