Billy Napier looking for young leadership to emerge in bowl game
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The Florida Gators will be without multiple captains and key starters in their Las Vegas Bowl matchup Saturday against No. 14 Oregon State.
Two of their four team captains — quarterback Anthony Richardson and linebacker Ventrell Miller — are not playing in the game after declaring for the NFL Draft.
Two more draft declarations — receiver Justin Shorter and guard O’Cyrus Torrence — will also skip the bowl, and more than a dozen players have transferred out.
“I think it presents opportunities for young leadership to really emerge. I think that’s what we’re seeing,” UF coach Billy Napier said. “We have a core group of veterans that are coming back that I think have character and really care about their role and doing their job for the team, and they really care about the program. You pair that with a lot of young talent. We have a lot of young players that played this year for the first time and did a great job. We’ve got a good nucleus of players. I see some urgency.”
Napier then used an example of that young leadership emerging. Linebacker Derek Wingo started in place of Miller at Florida State and is expected to get the nod again on Saturday.
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Wingo addressed the team after Thursday’s practice.
“He did a phenomenal job,” Napier said. “We’ve got a handful of players like that that maybe played for the first time in their career this season that are returning and I think there’s an opportunity to build some momentum here. We’re in year one. There’s tremendous opportunity that comes with playing a really good Oregon State team in an early bowl game in Vegas.”
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In other Florida football news
- Louisville freshman defensive line transfer Caleb Banks commits to the Gators.
- Projecting what Florida’s depth chart will look like for the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl.
- Billy Napier and staff working “extremely” hard at QB recruiting, development.
- Billy Napier discusses Anthony Richardson’s draft decision and progress at QB.
UF recruiting roundup
- 5-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola rates his official visit to Florida a “10.”
- 4-star DT John Walker has a difficult decision to make following UF official visit.
- UF weighing heavy on the mind of Stanford commit and tight end Jaden Platt.
- Ja’Keem Jackson details his Gators official visit: “I think I’m good where I’m at.”
- Four-star tackle Caden Jones returns to Florida and still has Gators out in front.
- A Big Ten quarterback transfer took an official visit to Florida this past weekend.
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