Billy Napier era begins as Gators hold their first spring game in three years

The Gators’ spring football game returns to the Swamp this week for the first time in three years. 

Florida’s entire spring camp was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic and last year’s final scrimmage didn’t take place in front of fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which was serving as a testing site for COVID-19.

UF fans get their first glimpse of the 2022 football team Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. The Orange & Blue Game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

“It’s a big deal. We can’t wait for Thursday night in the Swamp,” first-year coach Billy Napier said. “Obviously it’s an open invitation, it’s free. We’re excited that this is our first opportunity to engage the student body. 

“I went for a few walks this week and every kid I met when I was out there I asked them to come to the spring game on Thursday night. I got a lot yeses so we’re excited about that. Certainly our fans that are coming in town, we look forward to that. We want them to arrive early.”

For starting safety Rashad Torrence II, a rising junior, this will be the first spring game of his college career. 

 “It will be very exciting,” he said. “Just to wake up and be like, ‘OK, it’s game day.’ And just go out and perform in front of the fans and show them the things that we’re doing this spring.”

The Gators have been learning new offensive and defensive schemes from Napier and his staff. He calls the offensive plays with coordinator Rob Sale, while co-DC Patrick Toney dials up the defense.

Toney also coaches the safety and nickel positions, with Tre’Vez Johnson slated to start at the latter spot. He has enjoyed playing in Toney’s system this spring. 

“I feel a lot more confident, especially in this defense. I feel a lot more confident. I’m excited. Excited might not even be the word. I’m ready to go,” Johnson said. “I’m ready to compete. I’m ready to be back in the Swamp and just play a game back in the Swamp. Our whole team mindset, where we’re at right now with Coach Napier, I’m loving it. I can’t wait for Thursday.”

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Napier coaches the quarterbacks, where Anthony Richardson will start with the first-team offense (Blue) while Ohio State transfer Jack Miller leads the second-team unit (Orange). 

Former UF quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel has been a regular around the football program this spring and told Gators Online Richardson has impressed him in camp. 

“Well like everybody, you immediately see the physical skills. He’s a tremendous passer. Really strong guy and runner. Tremendous athlete,” Wuerffel said. “But I think what’s encouraging to me is to see the way he processes the game. He’s a really smart guy and I think he’s got so much potential. And as everybody’s been saying, you hope that you see that potential translate and there’s consistency. And you hope he stays healthy.”

Richardson appeared in eight games last season, making his first career start against No. 1 Georgia and replacing Emory Jones against LSU and FSU. Richardson suffered a torn meniscus against the Seminoles and missed the bowl game after minor surgery. He was also sidelined for the Alabama and Tennessee games with injuries. 

With Jones deciding to transfer and Richardson now healthy, the job is his for the taking. Thursday will be his first opportunity — under the lights — to show the new staff he can be QB1. 

 “I’d say definitely I just love how calm he is in really any situation, even like during scrimmage,” starting receiver Justin Shorter said of Richardson. “We’ll be backed up in that position they put us in, and he’s calm, he like knows what he’s doing, he’s telling people where to go, making the right checks, right reads, and I just really see him putting the time in and that work in to be that guy.”

Thursday will be the team’s second time playing in The Swamp this spring. The Gators held their scrimmage last Saturday at the stadium, where they had a penalty-plagued practice. 

Afterward, Napier dressed down his players for being undisciplined as they kneeled in the end zone. Florida guard Ethan White is confident he and his teammates will play cleaner in the spring game. 

“You know, penalties, it’s a lot of just mental strain. If you’re gonna make a bad decision or if you’re gonna kind of just go to the next play. So I don’t think that will be an issue in the spring game,” White said. “I think tensions can get a little high, and you know, guys can lose their heads in practice environments.”

Thursday will not be a drill. The Gators are having an actual spring game with the roster — and the entire football staff — split into two teams.

They practiced separately during the last week of spring camp, creating some competition ahead of game day. On Thursday night, the teams will run out of separate tunnels using both the home and visiting locker rooms.

“When we split the guys, it’s really more so how they play in front of people,” tight ends coach William Peagler said. “We’re out in the practice-setting and that’s good — I think practice is basically a game-day rep every single time — but I think being in front of people, you want to see how they react. Because I remember when we were in Michigan State after the COVID year, and we practiced in front of people and my gosh, those guys were anxiety central. It was kind of weird.

”I think the mindset (of this Florida team) is let’s continue to get better. I think we’ve really seen from day one until now, the guys are really improving. Obviously when you cut the lights on in front of a bunch of people on (SEC Network), we want to see us play well.”

One. more. sleep. 🐊#GoGators | #UFuture pic.twitter.com/304fsJ894v

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 13, 2022