SEC media predict Florida will finish fifth in the East division a season after the Gators were 3-5 in league play during coach Billy Napier’s inaugural season.
Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Kentucky landed ahead of the Gators, who were 6-7 in 2022 and are coming off consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the late 1970s.
At SEC Media Days Wednesday, Napier was optimistic despite the skeptics and lack of buzz outside of UF’s program.
“Gator legend Steve Spurrier said it best when he said, ‘This is talking season,'” Napier said. “The games are coming and in the meantime this group will continue to work like it’s been working.”
The Gators return just seven starters — just three on a defense among the SEC’s worst. Napier has yet to name a starting quarterback, but Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz is expected to step in for Anthony Richardson following an uneven career with the Badgers. Mertz was 19-12 as a starter with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions.
“He’s played a ton of football,” SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers told the Orlando Sentinel. “When I watch him on film, I do think he’s talented. Whether it’s situationally or scheme wise, he did force a lot of balls into coverage.”
Florida’s lack of star power was evident on the preseason All-SEC teams. The Gators failed to place anyone on the first or second teams.
Tailback Trevor Etienne, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen landed on the third team.
In 2022, Louisiana transfer offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence landed on the preseason first-team offense and eventually earned All-America.
Missouri is picked to finish sixth in the East ahead of Vanderbilt. The Commodores defeated the Gators 31-24 on Nov. 19, Vandy’s first win against them in Nashville since 1988.
Florida faces one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2023, with their opponents going 96-60 (61.5%) in 2022.
Napier’s squad opens Aug. 31 at Pac-12 champion Utah and hosts surging Tennessee on Sept. 23 in the Swamp a year after the Vols’ 38-33 win. Following a Sept. 30 visit to Kentucky, winners of three of the past five meetings, and an Oct. 14 trip to South Carolina UF has a bye week before a three-game gauntlet against two-time defending national champion Georgia, Arkansas and LSU in Baton Rouge.
Florida State visits the Swamp Nov. 25 to close the regular season. The Seminoles are a likely preseason top 10 team behind quarterback Jordan Travis, a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Athlon Sports annual college football issue forecasts Florida to go 5-7 and miss a bowl game.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
