Identifying the biggest factor to success for Florida in 2023

The Florida Gators are looking for a more successful season in head coach Billy Napier‘s second year running the program in 2023. And On3’s J.D. PicKell has an idea of how they can do that. According to the college football expert, the Gators must start with fundamentals and execution.

“When we talk about Florida being light years better, from a fundamentals and execution standpoint, that’s really important,” said PicKell. “You say, of course, the fundamentals are important; execution that’s really important because that’s how you get to play started. It’s how you do anything. Yes, I’m with you. I’m on the same page as you. Take a step further; that’s going to be the ultimate hinge point for Florida.

“Look at how Florida played last year. For me, one of the major questions was which A.R. are we gonna get this week? Because we all know A.R. could play at a 10 out of 10 that week, and that might be the difference in the game. That’s going to give you a chance in every single game because he’s as special as they get when it comes to quarterback position. You saw it against Utah, against Tennessee. They gave Tennessee all they could handle. Florida had no business playing the way they did against Tennessee that day. But A.R. got in his duffy and kept Florida in that game. That was kind of the great equalizer for you at times when he was on last year.“

Last year Florida was very much a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team on the field when it came to what to expect from them on a weekly basis. There were some games where last year’s starting quarterback turned fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson, looked the part of a top-five pick. At other times his inexperience at quarterback reared its head and was on full display. But arguably, the Florida defense was their most enormous opportunity last season. The Gators’ defense allowed 28.5 points per game. And as PicKell highlights, that needs to change in 2023.

“The defense, last year, gave up somewhere around 30 a game, and the offense was great one week; they were not great the next. That’s not going to be this year’s formula. This year is going to be complementary football… that’s gonna be the reality for Florida. It’s gonna be defense; we got more depth. We got the new man calling the shots on the defensive side of the ball with Austin Armstrong as the new D.C. Hold your water. Keep them under 30. Offense, your assignment? Don’t lose the ball game for us.

“I’m assuming Graham Mertz is going to start at quarterback, even though they’re gonna battle it out the rest of the way. So offense, keep that machine on pace. Feed Trevor Etiennie, feed Montrell Johnson; let them work. Don’t lose the ball game for us, don’t turn the football over, don’t give them six points when we’re on offense, (and) don’t throw pick-sixes. That’s gonna be the kind of way they play football. And a big part of that is the defense putting the offense in a good position to succeed.”

In order for Florida to be prosperous in 2023, it will be because of a commitment to the fundamentals of college football. With Richardson now a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the Gators are without a known game-changer for now. That means their defense will need to be much improved and help the offense win the battle of field position.

“For Florida, the defense has to set the offense up and take some pressure off of them, knowing every time that we take the field, we don’t have to score. Sometimes, the best drive might be that we punt it and pin them inside the 20. Like, that might be a successful drive for us this coming season, the depth you think is going to be a big part of that going forward.

“That’s why I look at fundamentals and execution. If you’re on your p’s and q’s fundamentally and from an execution standpoint, you’re going to keep from beating yourself on, but that’s gonna keep from beating yourselves. And that’s gonna be key for Florida without the enormously talented A.R. this coming season.”