Florida visits Texas A&M seeking Billy Napier’s first SEC road win, November momentum (Ep.135)

Billy Napier’s third season in Gainesville is unofficially underway with the start of spring football practices. During the next six weeks, a remade roster and staff will push to turn the page on consecutive losing seasons and search for answers, leaders, playmakers and momentum. Meanwhile, Todd Golden’s Gators are ahead of schedule and poised to make a postseason statement. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark have plenty to say during the start of a big month for Florida’s two premiere programs.

• Billy Napier optimistic (:35)
• Insight into Napier (5:50)
• Graham Mertz getting comfortable (9:56)
• Chimere Dike and receiving core (14:29)
• New strength coach (22:08)
• Criticism mounting (34:02)
• What is end game? (42:27)
• Men’s basketball (44:10)
• Women’s basketball (48:17)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (48:46)

Florida reached 20 wins in men’s basketball for the first time since 2018 as Todd Golden’s program pushes to make a postseason run. But with three regular-season games to go, the Gators continue to show a lack of killer instinct while the mystery of Riley Kugel continues. Meanwhile, Billy Napier’s third season in Gainesville begins in earnest with the opening spring practices March 7. UF will have many new faces and faces plenty of questions as Napier aims to set a new course for his struggling program. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar tackle plenty of topics during a busy time for the Gators.

• O’Dome stench (0:00)
• Gators defeat Missouri (9:30)
• Riley Kugel mystery (12:00)
• Billy Napier’s Herculean task (18:10)
• Ben Sasse’s thoughts (24:58)
• Off-season attrition (29:10)
• DJ Lagway  concern (31:11)
• Other storylines (34:47)
• NFL combine (38:36)
• Napier’s absence (42:40)
• Fixing college football (49:30)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (1:01:32)

Florida’s upset bid in men’s basketball came up short in overtime at Alabama. Coach Todd Golden’s squad let a golden opportunity slip away, but the Gators have found their stride with March Madness on the horizon. Meanwhile, Billy Napier’s program will kick off spring football in two weeks with 30 new players and a retooled staff. After spending a week reporting from the Daytona 500, Mark and Edgar return for the latest Swamp Things to catch up with all the Gators’ goings-on, including a deluge of spring sports.

• NASCAR: Daytona 500 (:00)
• Men’s basketball (4:29)
• Gator Football: Staff churn (8:46)
• Coaches managing players (18:00)
• Coaching possibilities (23:04)
• Florida Victorious selling itself (29:30)
• Recruit playing the game (43:00)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (49:10)

The early signing period has devalued National Signing Day on the first week of February. Even though the Gators didn’t add to the 2024 class, Billy Napier had plenty to discuss following offseason changes to virtually every aspect of his program. Something had to give after consecutive losing seasons. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark discuss Napier’s many moves and whether it will be enough to turn around the Gators.

• Billy Napier speaks: Was it worth the wait? (:00)
• Coaching staff (3:54)
• Portal additions (7:03)
• Napier giving up control (10:10)
• Most intriguing prospects (16:23)
• Changes to program (19:28)
• Jaden Rashada investigation (20:23)
• Funding NIL (23:05)
• Longterm viability of college football (27:23)
• Super Bowl: 4 Gators (35:33)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (40:07)

Florida’s upset at Kentucky in men’s basketball gave Todd Golden a much-needed signature win and supercharged the Gators’ NCAA Tournament resumé. Wins at Rupp Arena don’t come easily. Prior to Wednesday, UF had won just 10 times in 50 visits to Lexington since 1974. Napier’s last trip to Kentucky ended with a 33-14 beat down, one of 14 losses in his two seasons. Poor special teams play is one of the reasons. Napier aimed to address the issue by hiring Joe Houston from the NFL, but still retained the man in charge the past two seasons. In the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar discuss the state of Golden and Napier’s programs while also paying tribute to Tampa columnist Martin Fennelly, a premiere talent and longtime Gators’ commentator gone too soon.

• Men’s basketball: Win at Kentucky (:00)
• Upcoming games (11:11)
• Football: Special teams hire (17:20)
• Tennessee’s NIL mess (24:55)
• Staff changes on horizon (27:29)
• National Signing Day (32:43)
• Money, money, money (35:12)
• Billy Napier: Hot topics (38:21)
• Portal individual rankings (40:08)
• Death of a colleague: Martin Fennelly (46:00)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner: Baseball (53:11)

A year after Florida made national headlines and the Billy Napier’s NIL approach became a punchline, news surfaced that a failed $13.8 million deal with Rashada is under NCAA scrutiny. But will the slow wheels of justice ultimately impact the football program? Otherwise, it’s been a good week for Napier’s Gators, who continue to acquire talent in key areas as the third-year pushes to turn around his program. Meanwhile, Year 2 under men’s basketball coach Todd Golden is gaining traction entering a visit from former coach Mike White’s Georgia Bulldogs before a rematch with Kentucky at Rupp Arena. In the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark weigh in on the past week’s events.

• Jaden Rashada strikes again (:00)
• Cause for Billy Napier’s termination? (11:03)
• Jameer Grimsley transfer (18:20)
• Where’s the loyalty? (23:54)
• NIL clawback (28:19)
• Florida remains behind in NIL (31:15)
• Hunting for money (36:26)
• Men’s basketball (37:24)
• Women’s basketball (42:18)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner: Women’s gymnastics (44:39)

By virtually any measure, Billy Napier entered 2024 squarely on the hot seat after consecutive losing seasons and a substandard brand of football. Florida AD Scott Stricklin disagrees and passionately backs the coach he hired to turn around the Gators. Will Stricklin be the one who ultimately decides Napier’s fate? During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar agree Stricklin has to stand by his man but wonder whether Napier’s approach to the transfer portal relative to the Gators’ competition is the latest red flag.

• Scott Stricklin on Billy Napier (:00)
• Adjusting coaching staff (8:05)
• Need to bring in better talent (10:00)
• Rumors flying about Stricklin (18:36)
• Using the portal (23:57)
• Men’s basketball (29:40)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (39:47)

The GOAT is gone. Alabama coach Nick Saban’s retirement rocked the college football world to kick off a year shaping up to be unlike any other in moden college football. Add the exit of the face of the sport to a list including an expanded College Football playoff, SEC, ACC and Big Ten expansion and efforts to legislate NIL. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark discuss Saban’s impact on Florida football, his decision’s trickle-down effect on the SEC and whether Billy Napier can earn a spot on the 72-year-old’s illustrious coaching tree.

• Nick Saban/Bill Belichick (:00)
• Saban retirement’s impact on Gators (10:03)
• Recruiting questions (14:54)
• Napier still has time to recruit (19:02)
• Hard to be optimistic about Gators (26:17)
• Napier’s coaching staff (29:30)
• Lost opportunity to rally support (33:45)
• Men’s basketball (40:01)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (44:57)

A new year brings new hope for Florida football. Coming off a 5-7 season and 11-14 overall, Billy Napier has to sell the future. It begins with 5-star quarterback signee DJ Lagway, one of three incoming Gators who played during the recent Under Armour All-American game, a half-dozen newcomers from the transfer portal and some new staff additions. After a 15-day holiday hiatus, Mark and Edgar aim to bring the big picture into focus while also discussing a huge weekend in Gators’ hoops.

• Signing Day: 3 to 13 (1:22)
• Under Armour: DJ Lagway sprain (2:13)
• Earnest Graham drama (9:48)
• Player access has to change (18:40)
• Timing of game (28:13)
• Filling holes (29:38)
• Pup Howard buzz (32:26)
• Athletes leaving/returning (35:30)
• Napier still making calls (48:30)
• Bowl system debacle (56:10)
• Jeremy Foley’ s Corner (1:01)
• Another enters portal (1:07)

Florida’s 2024 class didn’t turn out to be what it could have been but might have been more than it should have been after another losing season in Gainesville. A pair of 5-star prospects,  quarterback DJ Lagway and defensive lineman LJ McCray, headlined a class that settled at a respectable No. 16 in the ranking after it peaked at No. 3 prior to a 5-7 campaign. Despite losing six top-150 players since November, there is plenty to like about the group Napier and Co. signed. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar dig in on the details of a pivotal day for the Gators and a coach squarely on the hot seat entering Year 3.

• Signing Day: More drama than ever (:00)
• They filled a lot of holes (4:16)
• Not terrible, but not great (8:25)
• Billy Napier’s thoughts (16:20)
• Coaching moves (23:51)
• Offensive line positives (26:20)
• Is Billy officially on the hot seat? (31:35)
• Only 5 signed from state of Florida (38:34)
• DJ Lagway (48:22)
• Jeremy Foley’s Corner (57:24)