Billy Napier: This team is still searching for its best

When he took the Florida job, Billy Napier worked hard to emphasize that Florida wouldn’t go through an immediate turnaround. At the same time, this is a proud SEC program that comes with huge expectations, and getting blown out by Georgia is always going to sting for the Gators.

Overall, Florida is sixth in the SEC East with just a 1-4 SEC record. Quarterback Anthony Richardson hasn’t lived up to the hype that came after the Utah game, as he struggled to be a consistent passer. There’s no way around the fact that this is a disappointment for Florida. Billy Napier knows this too.

“This team is still searching for their best,” Billy Napier said. “I mean, I still think that we’ve got a lot of individual players that are growing, that are improving. We have certain position groups, units on our team.”

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Billy Napier then emphasized that to get this team to play its best, it has to do the little things right on a daily basis. He also wanted to make sure everyone knows that he expects them to do just that.

“I think it’s more about finding a way to win a game one week at a time to create some momentum. But, you know, there’s only one way to do that. You do that one day at a time. You do that one task at a time. With a great focus, you try to do your best for the people around you,” Billy Napier said.

“You know, I think that’s what this group’s gonna do.”

Florida’s next game is against Texas A&M at Kyle Field.

Billy Napier on the dismissal of Brenton Cox

One thing that nobody expected to see happen this season for Florida was the dismissal of Brenton Cox from the roster. It’s a move that likely won’t help Florida win games this season, as Cox was the team’s top pass rusher. However, Billy Napier was coy about why Cox was removed from the team.

“Brenton, we’ve kind of decided to move on here. I think — you know, I think that being a football player at the University of Florida is a privilege, right? There’s certain expectations and standards that come with that,” Billy Napier said.

“Brenton’s been here in his third year. Obviously, he’s done a lot of good things for the University of Florida, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

Brenton Cox has since declared for the NFL Draft.