Billy Napier excited by progress made by ‘future star’ Shemar James

Billy Napier‘s Florida roster is full of various promising young players, many of which will have to step up and play big roles this upcoming season.

But inside linebacker Shemar James‘ number was called early last year in his freshman season with the Gators, thrown into the fire in Florida’s Week 1 opening game at home versus Utah where he received his first career start. And at SEC Media Days, Napier revealed that he’s not expecting a sophomore slump out of him.

“Shemar James is one of the young players that I’m really excited about,” Napier said. “Shemar was able to play and contribute to our team and gain some valuable experience in year one. He is intelligent, he’s got great awareness.”

James was a four-star prospect out of Mobile, Alabama, ranked the No. 5 inside linebacker and No. 57 overall player in the nation for the 2022 class according to On3’s Industry Ranking. He appeared in all 13 games for the Gators last year fresh out of high school, making four starts throughout the season.

His impact was instant for Florida’s defense, ranking sixth on the team in tackles last year with 47 and added three quarterback hurries, two tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery to his solid freshman year. But Napier believes that his impact on this year’s team can go beyond his performance on the field.

“I think he has character. I think he’s a player within that class he has influence, he’s a future star for the Gators. Shemar showed up last year in early June. He didn’t get here till late May, early June so not only is he going to benefit from that experience, but he’s went through this cycle all the way back to January and he’s in a much better place right now.,” Napier explained.

The Gators could use some leadership, as their young squad lost all four of their captains from last season and six players to the 2023 NFL Draft. And it sounds like James could assume a major leadership role for Florida ahead of the 2023 season even as an underclassman.

“So I think he’s got a chance to be one of the more impactful young players on our team and we’re really excited about his leadership and the character that he brings to our locker room as well,” Napier concluded.