Billy Napier 'confident' Florida will get multiple players back after bye week

Florida will take on rival Georgia on Saturday in the annual ‘World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party’ in Jacksonville, Fla. The Gators are hoping to get multiple players back coming off the bye week, including star right guard O’Cyrus Torrence.

Torrence did not play in the team’s game against LSU before the bye week, nursing an injury.

“I think it was good,” Napier said of Florida’s bye week. “I think we will, I’m pretty confident, we’ll get a handful of players back that maybe didn’t participate last week. Cybo, in particular, is going to be able to participate and practice (Monday). Handful of others that continue to improve. We’ll benefit from it for sure.”

Torrence has been a staple for the team at right guard since transferring in from Louisiana this offseason, following his former head coach.

On3 national reporter Mike Huguenin ranked Torrence as the No. 22 overall impact transfer in the country following Week 8’s games, while he’s got Torrence as the second-most impactful offensive lineman out of the transfer portal.

Florida is looking to bounce back from a 45-35 loss to LSU, the team’s third loss of the season, hoping a healthier outfit can help it overcome some steep challenges against the nation’s No. 1 team.

Florida’s bye week over, Billy Napier excited to coach against Georgia

While Napier would love to have a fully healthy team going into one of his program’s biggest rivalry games, he’s relishing the opportunity to square off with Georgia either way after Florida’s bye week.

So is much of his staff.

Napier plucked a handful of staffers from the Bulldogs, including some who didn’t come directly from Georgia but have worked there in the past. Florida assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy Katie Turner was viewed as a key offseason for hire, with Napier able to lure her away from Kirby Smart.

Now Napier will get to match wits with Smart on the field.

“I mean, this is why you coach college football. When you come to the University of Florida to play in this league, to play in these types of games. And certainly, you know, this game’s been around for a while, right,” Napier said. “So I think, for me, I don’t know I’m quite prepared to answer that question, because I’m focused on trying to get our team ready so that we can play with confidence in the game. So that’s why you come here. These types of challenges. Folks said this is the one game of the year they’re not pulling for you.

“I mean, I just think that’s why college football is a great game right. I mean, you got to be cut-throat. But no, I mean, I think that it’s a fun game. Certainly, you know, we got a lot of people that have passion for their teams and we’ll have our fair share in that stadium Saturday, I can promise you.”