Wide Receiver
Florida is replacing its top two receivers from the 2024 season. Elijah Badger and Chimere Dike combined for 81 rec, 1,589 yards, and 6 TDs. Eugene Wilson III is coming off a season in which he only played 4 games. Aidan Mizell returns from last season, though he only produced 202 yards.
In the offseason, Florida acquired J. Michael Sturdivant in the transfer portal from UCLA. While Sturdivant had relatively productive seasons in 2022 and 2023, he’s coming off a 2024 season where he only produced 315 yards and 2 TDs.
Florida will be placing a lot of trust in two true freshmen this season, Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson. Brown III and Wilson were ranked as the #6 and #8 wide receiver prospects in the 247 Sports’ composite rankings this past recruiting cycle; however, a schedule that contains LSU, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee will not be kind to true freshmen.
DJ Lagway’s Health
After undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder, can Lagway avoid his shoulder problems throughout 2025? Although Lagway did not miss a game due to shoulder issues in 2024, his throwing shoulder experienced soreness throughout his freshman season.
Lagway was limited throughout the Gators’ spring practices, and he did not throw in the spring game. Has Lagway’s shoulder had time to heal completely? Or will his shoulder be reaggravated as the hits begin to stack up?
Billy Napier
Napier is heading into his 4th season at Florida. So far, the Gators have turned out seasons of 6-7, 5-7, and 8-5. Napier now has his quarterback. A full season with DJ Lagway under center is Billy Napier’s best measuring stick yet.
Napier has brought in recruiting classes ranked 13th, 13th, and 7th according to the 247 Sports’ composite rankings. Like Florida’s record over the past few seasons, recruiting is also on an upward trend. Florida brought in just a handful of transfers over the offseason, so it seems as if Billy Napier is finally confident in his roster.
With so many starters returning, 13, Florida should be poised for a great season led by DJ Lagway. If Florida suffers losses in weeks 3 and 4 to LSU and Miami, that could end Billy Napier’s season early, along with his head coaching stint at Florida. Can Billy Napier get this Florida football team hot in 2025?
The Schedule
If you look at ESPN’s post-spring Top 25 Rankings, you’ll find that the Gators play ESPN’s 3rd, 4th, 6th, 21st, 23rd, and 24th-ranked teams. Florida must play LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss on the road. They also have a neutral-site game against the Georgia Bulldogs.
So the question is, what is a playoff-caliber season for the Gators? Florida will likely make the college football playoff with a 10-2 record given its schedule. How does the Gators’ playoff resume look with a record of 9-3?
For example, Florida could suffer losses against Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M but still have victories over LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The answer is dependent on how the landscape shapes around them, but a 9-3 record is still a strong resume for the Gators. They would likely need Miami to be a 10+ win team.
Regardless, Billy Napier has his hands full with this schedule for the 2nd straight season.
