Opposing coach on Florida in 2024: 'It's do or die time'

Florida has as much pressure on them as any program in college football this fall with them needing their first winning season since the start of the decade against a schedule that’s accepted to be among the most difficult in the nation. Opponents for the Gators realize it too with how they’re viewing them coming into 2024.

An opposing assistant in the SEC shared his thoughts on the Gators in Athlon’s 2024 College Football Preview. Simply put, this is the season where Florida has to make something happen and meet some of the desires down in The Swamp.

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“It’s do or die time,” they said

“I think a lot of coaches respect how (Billy) Napier has gone about his business, but there’s a level of expectations in the SEC and you have to build your plans around that accelerated pace.”

It’s accepted how hot the seat is underneath Napier after two seasons. He is 11-14 and is coming off a one-game decline where they missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. It also was the third straight losing record down in Gainesville since 2020.

Simply put, all that makes it a now-or-never feel coming in for Florida. That’s why it’s the job of those in the building to find a way to clean things up.

“The coaching staff is almost totally different, especially on defense,” they continued. That’s the biggest problem we’ve heard about, that the internal system isn’t right there.”

However, even with all that working against them, the team itself is in a good spot. They are among the best in the conference and nationally in returning production. They’re also bringing in a Top-10 recruiting class and a Top-20 one out of the portal per On3. It’s just a matter of if that’s all going to be enough to handle the slate that stands between them and another potential coaching change.

“The roster will be the best they’ve had – there was a pretty significant drop in talent at the end of the (Dan) Mullen years, but that excuse has run out,” they said. “(Graham) Mertz coming back might save Billy’s job.”

Again, there’s no questioning the spot that Florida finds itself in at this point of the tenure. The heat will be on for the duration, especially from the end of October when their schedule gets insane.

Still, in the opinion of this coach, the Gators should make their way at least into a bowl game. It’ll then be up to them to decide if that’s good enough through three seasons.

“The schedule is brutal for them, but they should be able to find a way to bowl,” they said