Florida coach Billy Napier completed the primary scrimmage together with his new staff more and more conscious he wants extra our bodies earlier than subsequent season.
It nonetheless won't be sufficient to speed up the Gators’ rebuild. Both approach, this roster isn’t going to chop it.
Napier applauded the Gators’ physicality Thursday, praised the general quarterback play and appreciates the gamers’ buy-in with a brand new employees.
“There’s quite a lot of shiny spots,” he stated.
The looming darkish cloud is a scarcity of high quality depth to run the type of operation Napier expects and the Gators want.
Florida’s lack of personnel prevented Napier from calling 25 to 30 performs he usually would. Accidents at tight finish, together with a career-ending one to redshirt freshman Gage Wilcox, compelled lengthy snapper Rocco Underwood into motion at his highschool place.
The redshirt freshman and former Lake Mary standout responded with a go reception.
“We received quite a lot of gamers who're benefiting from alternatives,” Napier stated. “You possibly can sit round and complain about these issues however to me, I see alternative. That’s the strategy we’re going to take.”
As soon as the offseason arrives, Napier and his employees will seize each alternative to beef up the Gators’ roster. Count on Florida to be very lively within the switch market.
“Now we have spots out there,” Napier stated. “You possibly can anticipate us being very aggressive within the portal this spring. We want gamers.”
Florida’s wants additionally will profit the underside of the roster.
Napier expects to award scholarships to 5 walk-ons. Whereas a pleasant gesture to a well-deserving group the transfer does nothing to slim the hole with Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M.
For now, the Gators push to enhance in the course of the closing seven spring practices, culminating with the spring recreation the night time of April 14.
Regardless of not fielding a whole third string, Napier doesn't anticipate accidents and depth issues will alter the sport’s format. Below former coaches Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen, the Gators didn't at all times have sufficient offensive linemen to stage a spring scrimmage.
“So long as we’re capable of keep comparatively wholesome … We’ll be capable to play our conventional spring-game format,” Napier stated. “We received quite a lot of work to do. Heck, I haven’t even thought concerning the spring recreation to be sincere with you.”
One space of concern is cleaner quarterback execution throughout anxious conditions. Napier, nonetheless, chalks a few of it as much as the Gators’ inaugural scrimmage in a brand new system.
“Most likely the one adverse there have been a few essential situational errors,” Napier stated. “However that’s a part of it as a result of every part we’ve been doing has been compartmentalized and the scenario is outlined. If you get to a scrimmage all of the variables are altering, the ball’s shifting, you must change gears mentally.”
Napier declined to single out particular person performs or efficiency Thursday.
“We’re a great distance from particular person gamers,” he stated. “What we’re centered on proper now — we have now quite a lot of good particular person gamers — we’re attempting to construct a soccer staff.”
To assist get throughout his message, Napier invited Les Snead, normal supervisor the Tremendous Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, to talk to his staff.
Snead echoed Florida’s first-year coach when it got here to program constructing.
“A time period that they use was, ‘We,’ not me,” Napier stated. “He instructed many tales about particular person gamers on their staff actually accepting their function, working to earn extra, the significance of every particular person function, whether or not that’s massive or small. Everyone knows we received about 100 soccer gamers on the market, however there’s in all probability 250 individuals or in order that contribute to our staff.
“It’s vital that all of us perceive that it takes lots of people.”
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. E mail Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or comply with him on Twitter at @osgators.
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