Like it or not Florida fans, Billy Napier has earned right to stay with Gators

I always thought it would take more from Billy Napier to really instill some faith in the Florida Gators fan base. Yet it seems like all Napier needed was support from the administration. Because since Scott Stricklin doubled down on Napier, the Gators look like a very different team. 

They spoiled LSU’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff, handing the Tigers their third loss of the season last week. They served their second-straight upset and second-straight spoiler at The Swamp, beating Ole Miss 24-17 on Saturday. 

It’s a win that means more than just ending another SEC teams shot at getting an at-large spot in the expanded playoff. It means the UF fan base shouldn’t hold the early season struggles against Napier anymore. 

With his second-straight win over a ranked team this season, Napier has earned the right to stay in Gainesville. 

Billy Napier’s late-season success sets tone for promising 2025 season

Napier needed a win Saturday over Ole Miss. Not just because playing spoiler is fun and wins you some brownie points around the SEC and fan base. But because he needed to show UF fans and national media pundits and quite frankly, his haters, he’s the right coach to lead Florida. 

The Gators were reeling a month ago. Now they look like a team that doesn’t have enough time to prove they just might be one of the best teams in the SEC. Instead, they’re setting the precedent for what 2025 can be. 

If this late-season surge is any foreshadowing for next season, the Gators aren’t just in good hands with Napier, they will be one of the best teams in the SEC. I’m not saying they’re a sure-fire lock for the SEC title game or even a CFP team. 

But they are a team that has moved past all the things that were holding them back in the beginning of the season. DJ Lagway has clearly earned his starting job and Napier would be foolish to think otherwise next year. 

The young core Stricklin was terrified to lose if he poured gasoline on Napier’s already charred seat is proving why they are tied to nearly 70 percent of the school’s NIL funds. 

This isn’t the same Florida team that was dismantled by Texas A&M and was embarrassed by Miami in its first game. This is a Florida team that has finally found something to play for and a Florida team determined to make next season count.