Gators open spring camp in Year 2 seeking a fresh start

GAINESVILLE — As Florida kicked off spring football camp Saturday, it felt like a fresh start for the Gators under second-year coach Billy Napier.

It’s a chance to put the disappointment of a 6-7 season behind them and start anew with a roster that went through significant turnover in the offseason, with UF adding 30 new players through recruiting (20) and the transfer portal (10). For the rest of the returning players and the coaching staff, it’s a familiarity carried over from Year 1 that makes this spring feel different.

“The biggest thing is you start in a different place from a knowledge standpoint, a communication standpoint, a set of fundamentals at every position,” said Napier. “You’ve got a core group of veteran players that walk out here the first day you put the ball down and they don’t blink. It’s not necessarily what to do, but now it’s how to do it. Why do we do it that way? The players will benefit from all parts of the organization in the second year.

“It’s like you moved to a new country and learned a new language last year. Now you’ve been living in the country for a while, so you’re a little more fluid and start to process quicker.”

Florida receiver Xzavier Henderson hauls in a pass during a drill as the Gators kicked off their spring football camp Saturday in Gainesville. It's the second spring under coach Billy Napier. (Matt Murschel)

It’s even carried over into Florida’s offseason workout program, where the Gators worked to get bigger, stronger and faster heading into Year 2.

“There’s a little more understanding and expertise,” said Mark Hocke, Director of Football Strength and Conditioning. “I see more detail, and I see more discipline and that comes with a better understanding of the rules of engagement.

Hocke admits he gets upset thinking about last season, calling the results ‘embarrassing.’ Instead, he chooses to focus on helping the players take the next step in their development.

It’s a crucial step as the Gators have one of the most demanding schedules in college football next season. A schedule features six games against teams ranked in 2022, including Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, LSU and Florida State.

“I’m trying to get engaged and get consumed with the work and that’s what we’ve been doing the last two months with the lifting with the running,” Hocke said.

But Hocke isn’t the only one disappointed by last season’s struggles.

“It sucks that we’re sitting on this 6-7 season,” said redshirt sophomore tackle Austin Barber. “That’s not what we’re looking for or the standard of what we’re going into the season with. I’m putting all of my focus on the season coming up and this practice on Monday.”

Help wanted

Two weeks before the start of spring practice, Florida lost its defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, tight ends coach William Peagler and receivers coach Keary Colbert to NFL jobs. The Gators hired Austin Armstrong last week to fill the role vacated by Toney, but the other two jobs remain unfilled.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s a compliment to those guys and how hard they’ve worked in their career, their reputation and certainly for the NFL to come calling and be willing to do what they needed to do contractually to acquire the coaches,” said Napier. “It’s a compliment to the staff, but challenges come with it.”

Napier said he wouldn’t “flip a coin” and hire someone quickly.

“If we have the person in place that we think is capable, we’ll make those moves quickly,” he said. “If we don’t, then we’ll be very thorough. So we’re making progress in that area. We should have some news here shortly.”

While Napier admitted the coaching staff is built to handle some attrition, it’s evident that the Gators need to fill those openings sooner rather than later.

QB showcase

Saturday was the first time quarterback Graham Mertz practiced with the Gators since arriving as a transfer from Wisconsin. His presence, along with the return of redshirt sophomore Jack Miller II and redshirt freshman Max Brown makes up one of the interesting competitions as UF looks to find a replacement for Anthony Richardson.

“I see a group that wants to please and a group that’s working hard,” said Napier. “Jack’s benefiting from being in his second year, but I’ve been impressed with Graham’s work ethic. He’s done a good job and grasped the system well. Max is obviously in Year 2 as well.

“I’m excited about that group and certainly some good and bad out there, as you would expect the first day, but overall really looking forward to that group and the progress they can make.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.