The culture and mindset had to be rinsed and Napes is doing just that. Majority of Mullen’s cruits lost the winning mindset, didn’t believe in Napes ways and it was all about what’s next for them personally not finishing what they started. 2023 could be an 8 win season but it will be a challenge to find 8. 2024 should be a break out year and show the program Napes started building in December 2021 was what UF needed for long term success.
Wow power, alot to digest. On a couple of points - I think you are on to something regarding the recruiting services. My personal calculations are that 5 stars and high 4's by the services is a 50/50 deal anyway. Remember our #1 Powell? He got on the field but was hardly the best player in the country any of his years at UF. Lastly, 22 is behind us, in my file 13 cabinet Next year will be important, I hope this thing has bottomed out for everyone's sake.
I always find it astounding that grown men sitting behind a keyboard have the audacity to call young men who work hard to be in peak physical condition soft. Much less doughy or squishy. It really is the epitome of hubris to look at anyone else with that kind of aplomb, but guys who dedicate their bodies and large portions of their time for your entertainment? Crazy. I think your manifesto has the fundamental flaw of preferential and subjective hindsight. Because I think you could just as easily point every finger for this seasons failures directly at the head coach and his staff, they they inherited more talent than they’d had, and had no idea at all what to do with it. That their offensive and defensive philosophies — as well as their strategic and motivational techniques— betrayed those who they were entrusted to teach and lead. If you want to discuss quitters, why didn’t Bill Napier have a workable strategy in the bowl game? I’ve watch a lot of bowl games this year— why does it seem that ONLY Florida chose not to give a crap? When the rank and file lose, why would you blame the soldiers and not the generals? Why excuse the multimillionaire coach with the million- dollar staff and choose to point at the kids instead, who are, in the end, only doing what they are told and taught?
I agree that our performance in the bowl game was inexcusable whether we had to use a backup qb or not.
The Beavers were a mature team with stability in their coaching staff. This means their schemes and philosophies in all 3 phases of the game were in place and executed by players who understand the systems. One of the best teams in their schools' history. With all the shake ups and obviously disgruntled players we stood no chance. Miller was getting zero reps post injury and not throwing for a long time. It was easy to make the gators one dimensional and then turn out the lights, here comes the pass rush. It's the time for mature fans to see the process of a total rebuild and realize it takes time. Napier's idea of a strong, solid foundation to start the rebuild makes total sense over a patch work rebuild with moderate success as a quick fix.
Much of what you said is antithetical to opinion boards, we all have the right to post our opinions that do NOT personally insult individuals here. Having said that I do agree with you that we had more talented players than the some people here are dumping on. I think outwardly blaming the team/players as a whole is bad form and short sighted. It would be more accurate to say that this coaching staff did NOT change their schemes to match the team's talent. That is one point about the staff that infuriated me. But like the saying goes, that's history and it's time to move on the next year.
players and coaches do not work together and it’s much more banal and much less dramatic than this analysis allows. Gators should stick with Gator players and not throw so many of them under the bus as soon as we change leadership.
That you extrapolated to use as an indictment for everyone who left or is leaving, which I’m sure met your preconceived narrative that the reason UF wasn’t more successful was because they didn’t buy into what their leader — appointed without their input by another old man hired without their input — told them to do. These kids gotta be tougher, and fall in line to follow someone who just knows better. Because, you know, he just does. Also, McClellan might have been wrong. Or talking out of his ass. Or sucking up to coaches. I’m sure he was talking to those players every day, encouraging them to just try harder. Or he might have waited until they left before pointing fingers at people no longer around. There’s no reason to take what he said as anything more than a guy pointing fingers and whining, unless it fits what you already believe.
