Category: Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE — Florida star defensive tackle Caleb Banks is back just in time for the Gators’ visit to No. 3 LSU. The 6-foot-5 ¾, 330-pound redshirt senior is not listed on Wednesday’s SEC availability report after missing the first two games with a foot injury. Banks could create the interior push UF could use to harass Tigers’ veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier pull off an upset as 7.5-point underdogs. With Banks on the sideline, the Gators have managed just two sacks in two games and could not contain USF dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown, who rushed for 66 yards and passed for 263...

GAINESVILLE — That didn’t take long. Billy Napier is back on the hot seat as Florida (1-1) opens SEC play at No. 3 LSU after the Gators’ staggering loss to unranked USF Saturday night in the Swamp. The Tigers (2-0) are a tough out at home, where the Gators have won just twice in 10 tries since 2003. The questions entering Saturday night’s visit to storied Tiger Stadium begin with the obvious. How much heat is on Napier? Plenty, yet a lot of football also remains. But so do the same problems that have plagued Napier in the past. Napier’s play-calling was at times predictable and execution...

GAINESVILLE — Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett said he “made a terrible mistake” for spitting on USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner, leading to a penalty that contributed to the Gators’ shocking 18-16 home loss on Saturday night. Bett issued a statement on his social media accounts Monday night, two days after the incident that led to his ejection during the Bulls’ game-winning drive in the Swamp. A Baylor transfer in his first year at UF, Bett apologized to teammates, coaches, fans and Skinner during a four-paragraph mea culpa. “I want to sincerely apologize for my actions in the...

GAINESVILLE — Another early season no-show in the Swamp by the Gators. Another season on the brink for Florida coach Billy Napier. A week after UF was virtually flawless against an overmatched FCS foe, the No. 13 Gators fell apart Saturday night during an 18-16 loss to unranked USF that put Napier back in familiar spot — behind the 8-ball and on the hot seat. A 20-yard field goal by USF sophomore Nico Gramatica silenced a sellout crowd of 89,909 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and sent the Gators (1-1) reeling before the season has even started — and will get only tougher. “There’s no excuse...

GAINESVILLE — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s last public appearance in the Swamp was ceremonial and somewhat confusing. Limited by an ailing right shoulder, Lagway handled the opening snap of April 12 spring game, handed off the ball and then exited the game — a process he’d repeat to open several series without making a pass. Casual fans were reminded Lagway was injured, if they were even aware. Ardent fans were left to speculate on the future of the Freshman All-American, who expended more energy signing autographs after the game than participating in it. Those uncertain times,...

GAINESVILLE — Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier and his brethren have been bracing for a roster reckoning spurred by the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement. The landmark legislation went into effect Tuesday, but sweeping changes remained on the horizon, not yet at the doorstep. With fall camp scheduled to start at month’s end, Napier’s roster stands at 117 players — a dozen above the proposed future limit of 105. “When we got the job, there were certain parameters around how you build your roster. We proceeded that way,” Napier said at the SEC Spring Meetings on May 28 in Destin....

GAINESVILLE — The ninth in a position-by-position preview of the UF football team leading up to the opening of fall camp. TODAY: CORNERBACK What to expect The Gators’ longstanding claim to DBU, the fictional Defensive Backs University, has become empty words. A program that churned out three NFL first-rounders at cornerback and four second-rounders from 2016-22 has sent one to the NFL in three years — fifth-rounder Jason Marshall Jr. in 2025. UF corners did make some statistical strides in 2024, finishing with 4 interceptions after managing just one in ’23 and cutting the average yards per...

GAINESVILLE — Florida guard Alijah Martin was positioned for a good night when the NBA invited him to the green room for the second round of the draft. The odds backcourt mate Will Richard would hear his name called were not nearly as favorable. By night’s end, the Gators’ national championship backcourt completed the trifecta. Martin didn’t have to wait too long Thursday night at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, landing with the Toronto Raptors just nine picks into the second round in the No. 39 spot. With four picks to go in two-round, 60-player event, Richard landed with the Golden...

GAINESVILLE — UF All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. was cool-headed and in control on his way to a national championship, but the 22-year-old let the tears flow Wednesday night as his NBA dream became reality. In a head-spinning turn of events for one of the draft’s fastest-rising players, Clayton was selected with the No. 18 pick by the Washington Wizards, who promptly traded Clayton to the Utah Jazz. Clayton rose into first-round consideration after a spectacular, national championship senior season with the Gators. As the draft neared, his stock continued to climb. Clayton attended...