Abolverdi's Answers: What we learned about Florida at SEC Media Days

Ahead of SEC Media Days, Gators Online Senior Writer Zach Abolverdi came up with five pertinent questions facing the Gators. Here are the answers from Atlanta:

How will Anthony Richardson handle his first SEC Media Days?

As a rookie at SEC Media Days, Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson handled himself like a pro. He spoke confidently and was very media-savvy, giving some great answers about his decision to ditch the AR-15 brand and maturing this offseason. Richardson was asked how his stays grounded with high expectations. “Sometimes you can get a high head, just happy. Everyone wants to go to the NFL and get drafted in the top 10,” he said, referring to his first-round draft projections. “But you gotta think, ‘This is my first year starting.’ Who knows what’s going to happen? I just have to wait and see when the time comes.”

Richardson also spoke on what forced him to mature more. “A lot of things, honestly. Of course, my decision-making off the field. I feel like that’s the main thing. I can’t be careless anymore. I’m getting older. Like people are saying, I’m the face of the program and I gotta act like it,” he said. “The lights are on you and a lot of people are going to be watching. They’re waiting for you to make a move, so I guess being in the spotlight has taught me a lot. Confidence is key.”

Richardson had plenty of it Wednesday.

What does Billy Napier view as his team’s biggest strength and concern? 

Now that first-year Florida coach Billy Napier is almost eight months into the job and has a pulse on his team, what does he view as the Gators’ biggest strength and concern heading into camp? I asked him after he first arrived in Atlanta.

“I love how they embrace work. This group is not scared to strain. They’re not scared to get out of their comfort zone,” Napier said. “I think we’ve got a group that embraces the weight room, the running, the speed improvement, the OTAs, the Gator plan, all those things that we’ve done throughout the summer. The accountability structure. We’ve got a lot that goes into that. And they’ve embraced those things, right? I like that. I think that they love to compete. I think they’re tough. And I think they’ve got a little bit of an edge. They feel there’s a little chip on the shoulder, right? They know they’ve got to go earn respect. I think when you’re a coach, that’s a good thing. So, I go back to spring ball. When you put the ball down, they want to go. I think that’s a good trait when you’re trying to put together a team.”

“I think we’ve got a core group of veteran players, but we have a big portion of our roster is inexperienced,” Napier said regarding his biggest concern. “Maybe they have ability. Maybe you see the traits that you’re looking for, but they haven’t been out there and done it. So we’ve got to develop that confidence by recreating the game in practice. And then we’ve added a good group of young players —freshmen, high school freshmen, a couple of junior college players and then some transfers. I think that transfer group brings some experience. There’s a lot of roles to be determined on our team. We’re not sitting here with eight, nine, 10 starters coming back across the board. We’ve got positions where we’ve got to develop a second man up, a third guy up. And that’s the beautiful thing about training camp, is it provides and creates that opportunity.”

What do Napier and the UF players have to say about NIL?

Napier discussed name, image and likeness Wednesday with local and national media members, although it wasn’t brought up with him on the main stage (as it was with other coaches). Napier has often said that that NIL will be a strength at UF with the Gator Collective and Gator Guard, but he was asked bluntly if he believes NIL “is” a strength for Florida right now.

“I do. I do,” Napier responded. “I believe it’s very fluid if that makes sense. I think it’s a tough dynamic when the rules change about every month. I think as a new staff, you come in, you evaluate what was the plan, what was going on, what are the laws in this state, what’s the current dynamic with the returning players and how will you collaborate? I think that’s the big thing.

“You talk about the UAA, the Gator Boosters, you’re talking about the foundation, you’re talking about connecting the dots. That’s one of the reasons we created the GatorMade program, to be that bridge. One of the components of GatorMade is we have a specific person who’s in charge of player engagement in NIL and I think Marcus [Castro-Walker] has hit the ground running and he’s really helped improve our situation.”

Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre spoke with Richardson and offensive tackle Richard Gouraige about how Gator Collective is helping change the lives of Florida athletes through name, image and likeness.

Where will the Gators be picked to finish in the SEC East?

Despite the hype surrounding Richardson, the SEC media is not high on the Gators heading into the 2022 season. The league announced Friday that was Florida was picked to finish fourth in the SEC East in the Preseason Poll. Georgia was selected to win the division with 1254 points, including 172 first-place votes, while Kentucky finished second with 932 points and four votes to win the division. Tennessee was third with 929 points and one first-place vote. The Wildcats and Vols both had more than 200 points than the Gators, who received 712 points and no first-place votes. Bulletin board material, no doubt.

What the latest on Florida’s 85-man scholarship count? 

Gators Online first reported Wednesday that UF is now at the 85-man scholarship limit for the 2022 season. The Gators didn’t need to be at that number until camp starts, but the team is no longer over the max following recent departures. GO also provided an update on four-star tight end signee Tony Livingston, who has yet to report to campus.