Billy Napier pens an open letter to Gators fans

After a perceived disastrous day on the recruiting trail, Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier penned an open letter to Gator Nation. The letter will also be sent to boosters and season ticket holders, as well as appear in the Sunday edition of the Gainesville Sun.

Napier began thanking the fans that he saw and spoke with during his speaking tour this spring.

“We want to take this opportunity to thank you for the tremendous amount of support you have shown our entire organization, team, and our families since our arrival in Gainesville.

“We recently had the opportunity to visit various cities across Gator Nation during my first spring speaking tour, and all we can say is that each day we are more and more excited to be part of the University of Florida. 

Our fans’ passion is evident and unmatched.”

Napier makes a pitch, calls for patience

Since his first day as the head coach at Florida Napier has asked for patience. That’s hard for a fan base that follows recruiting as much as the Gator Nation does. When they don’t see results, they will make their displeasure heard.

“As we enter a new era of college football with Name, Image and Likeness, we are fortunate to be at a place that is not only rich in history and tradition on the football field, but is also a top 5 public institution with more than 470,000 living alumni and incredible resources. We believe that NIL will be a strength at the University of Florida.

We also believe in the professional development of our athletes. For that reason, we established the GatorMade program, a holistic player-focused and purpose-driven initiative that seeks to develop Gators beyond the football field by providing them with the necessary skills to succeed in life. 

GatorMade provides opportunities in financial literacy, micro-internships, networking, mentorship, agent education, NIL, business weekend trips, and even service abroad.  We want to have a place where we work toward having a life-changing impact as a person, as a student, and as a player. And GatorMade provides the building blocks.”

Gators fall out of the lead for Jaden Rashada

One of the top uncommitted prospects in the country is quarterback Jaden Rashada. The talented passer took an official visit to Florida and the Gators were trending to land his signature. Rashada was scheduled to announce his college commitment on June 18, following his second trip to UF. He pushed that date back to Sunday and took an official visit to Miami this week. Now, the Hurricanes lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for Rashada.

“One thing we have learned in the past six months is that Gators are resilient and passionate. In all kinds of weather. 

“I can assure you that no one has higher expectations for what we want to accomplish than me.

“This will be a team effort. All of us, no matter what our role is, can make a positive impact in the success of our program. From our students cheering their loudest on Saturdays at The Swamp, to our boosters, alumni and everyday fans: We all must have a championship approach in all that we do.

“You are part of this team, and we can’t wait to see you at The Swamp this fall as we embark on the journey to our new future.”

Whether or not the Gators land Rashada won’t define Napier’s time at Florida. He need to land a quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle and the options are running out. It’s good to see that the new coach has a pulse on the fan base that is behind him but results are the only thing that matters.