Paul Finebaum explains why Florida must show improvement under Billy Napier quickly

Coaching at the highest level of college football has a razor-thin timetable. Some coaches’ tenure can last as little as a season or two; see Auburn Bryan Harsin 2021-2022. And if Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier does not want to fall to the same fate as his former SEC colleague, according to ESPN Paul Finebaum, he must act now.

“I think the mistake people are making is when they get excited about his recruiting; compared to which school? Florida is recruiting better than it has been, but it’s still trailing Georgia. It’s still trailing other schools in the SEC,” said Finebaum on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning Show.

Currently, according to On3’s Industry Ranking, Florida has climbed to the third spot in the 2024 recruiting rankings. They’re only a few percentage points behind second-ranked Ohio State and only trail their SEC East rival Georgia, in terms of schools representing their conference.

But as Finebaum points out, that could change at a moment’s notice. Couple that with the hunger of Gators fans to see their team at the top again, and Napier might find himself in a precarious situation at the end of the year.

“It’s like a NASCAR race. I mean, yeah, you can still be in the top five or six or seven. But when you’re going around turn four, you better jump ahead of somebody. And that’s really ultimately what Florida is facing right now. I don’t think anyone is counting Billy Napier out, but next year we’ll be extremely important for him. I know that sounds like an understatement, but it’s the truth. Patience only goes so far with the Florida fanbase. I don’t care how long it’s been since they’ve last been relevant.”

PicKell says Florida’s recruiting success compares to a compass

On3’s J.D. PicKell, on the other hand, sees things for the Gators through a more rose-colored lens. He believes Florida’s recruiting success should be viewed like a compass, to see where Napier is leading the program.

“If I’m a Florida Gator fan, I’m looking at this on the recruiting trail, and I’m using this momentum that I’m seeing as a compass,” said PicKell. “Now, a compass, it doesn’t tell you when you’ve arrived anywhere. But a compass does tell you that you’re headed the right direction. And that’s what I think you have to say about this right now.