Article: Can Florida Football Thrive In All Kinds Of Weather, and What Does It Need To Do So?

Stricklin's fate is tied to CBN success...if '23 and '24 are duds, Stricklin is gone and then its '25 or bust for CBN.

 

I think we eventually need to build up a NIL endowment like fund of between $200 and $300 million dollars to have about $10 million in interest income a year that can be spent on players ea h year and not touch principal

 

Something like that for sure but I’m not sure 10 million will cut it.

 

No amount will ever cut it without some kind of regulation put forth. Texas, aTm, Bama, and UGA will always be willing to shell out more dough.

 

We were all the rave in June, On3 calling UF the June Recruiting winner. It's only July 5th.

We are at 16 or 17 (depending on the service). The way I see it we sign 6 - 8 more or so.

I think they will come in drips.

 

That's like passing up the oasis to get to a pond on the other side of the desert.

 

I doubt we are passing on any talent. It’s just that the ones that want to be gators are in other states.

 

This is the problem. Local 4/5* talent is leaving UF behind to play for other programs. The challenge for CBN is to replace the stank of the past decade with a winning program. That's a steep hill to climb. He has to put the cart before the horse to use a tired idiom and show that he can win consistently and put lots of guys in the draft. Then and only then will the state's 4/5* talent stay home and play for the Gators.

 

I doubt Florida talent will ever stay home. We will get our sharing, so will the big boys

 

This has to change for UF, imho.

https://247sports.com/longformartic...perkins-kool-aid-mckinstry-212799166/#2196338

 

One of the main reasons for Georgia success is that their High School coaches are probably the best in the nation along with Texas . So their kids work habits and techniques are far ahead of most Florida and California schools . Florida HS kids are certainly talented arguably the best in America but we have great HS coaches in Florida leaving for jobs in Georgia.
Friday nights in Georgia and Texas are special. Florida Friday nights are generally very average.

 

See Robbie Pruitt. Georgia has much better opportunities for high school coaches.

 

Capturing more local Florida talent will come with more wins and after the brand has been brought back to its former luster. Last time I looked, we had a pretty stellar class building for '24. Top 3 or 4, and we're not done yet. (Either are the other teams). There are plenty of Gator players going to the NFL as well. Regarding the NIL conversation, it has improved at Florida. Rebuilding and regrouping takes time, particularly when you don't have the player personnel. We've had brutal schedules to further complicate it all.

I don't see Napier going anywhere any time soon. I don't see Stricklin going anywhere anytime soon either. As long as Napier is developing the character of these kids and getting them in the NFL, it's all good. What he's selling is pretty easy to buy. Some kids will go out of state and will probably return later, or they'll watch from afar and realize what they could have been a part of. The grass is always greener over there...

Cautious optimism is prudent. Pessimism and dissatisfaction are like cancers, they consume their host and then infect others. University of Florida just won the best sports trophy. Your AD doesn't get fired when you're showing up like that. Gratitude with a little patience sprinkled in is the answer.

(That is until Mertz tosses his first pick)

It's great to-be a Florida Gator!

Go Gators.

 

All those words just to say Jeremy Foley screwed our football program, with his unqualified dud coaching picks... to the point where the Gators don't have that automatic advantage in recruiting the best in state talent?

Yep, that was easy to say... becasue it's the truth!

But I think the recruiting is taking a turn for the better right now as we debate this very thoughtful article. I don't believe in state schools and that kind of tribal connectivity to other big schools in our state. We could still be on top if we have just made the right choices in picking our head football coaches.

And now that we have the right man for the job I can see the Gators winning out on more in state talent while Napier is in control of our football program. Last year was a short recruiting period for Napier and his "army" of talent finders. But this year his clan will begin their rise to the top in short order.

I am giddy with anticipation for this coming season and if I were a betting man I would put real money on the Gators to beat the projected finish... with a record that Napier and company will have accomplished by the end of the season.

Regardless of what Miami and FSU do, we control our own destiny and the Gators have a ticket to the top in the near future... I know it... can feel it. Even if we have to see other in state team get their footing I believe we are on the right tack... I'm on that train, and have been on that train for decades.

General Napier and his army will not be denied... and I will have a front row seat to all that which we have been waiting for. 9-3 is very doable in 2023.

Go Gators!

Bring back Gator Bait!!!

 

Until uga (smart takes the hit when crap finally hits the fan) and bammer (nick retires) come back to earth, we'll take a back seat to them as we won't match their recruiting spending. We'll catch lightening in a bottle every so often, but the days of dominating, SOS and Urban style, are not likely to return.

 

They take HS football very seriously in Georgia. Used to visit a cousin and he and his buddies would discuss area HS football like normal people do with college ball and none of them had kids in HS. A current friend watches pretty much all of the Georgia HS football playoffs on TV.

 

That’s nuts.

 

I don’t have a lot of shaves left fellas . Will I ever see the Gators ever beat the Dawgs again ?

 

Live this post ! I too believe Billy is the right guy

 

Of course and it could be this year. But as long as they are out-spending us, it won't be on a regular basis. Back in the day, it would go in cycles, but with NIL in play and they recent tast of success, I don't think they will ever reduce spending.

BTW, if you shave every other day, you have twice as many shaves left.

A better question is "will we have a perfect season in my lifetime?" I have a bottle of red wine with a Gators label that I'm saving for that season. It may taste like piss, but I'm drinking every drop.

I like the path we're on too with the amount of spending we have