Billy Napier facing increased sense of urgency on future at Florida, per CFB insider
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Billy Napier’s program is struggling mightily right now as the college football season hits Week 6, and the heat is being turned up on his future in Gainesville.
With Florida mired in a 3-game losing streak entering Saturday afternoon’s SEC showdown against No. 9 Texas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), that future doesn’t look so bright at the moment. On Saturday morning during College GameDay, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel chimed in on Napier and what he’s facing right now as Florida desperately tries to get back in the win column for the first time since Week 1.
“It would be disingenuous to say it’s a win-or-else game for Billy Napier with Texas coming to The Swamp,” Thamel said. “But sources have certainly indicated an increased sense of urgency for Napier and his future amid this 1-3 start. It’s telling that a year ago at this time, the notion of an early season firing at Florida was roundly shot down. Sources have indicated that that level of patience has clearly changed.”
Thamel pointed to Florida’s anemic offense through 4 games as a major reason for its struggles, with Napier taking the blame.
“Look, all eyes are on Napier right now. The offense is last in the SEC in scoring, second-to-last in total yards. Napier’s the play-caller and, ultimately, he’s the one overseeing the lack of development of (quarterback) DJ Lagway,” Thamel said. “He’s statistically been one of the worst quarterbacks in the entire SEC.”
A victory on Saturday would do wonders for Napier amid the rumors, but obviously a loss would sink him deeper and likely make those rumors a lot louder.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
