Fall training camp begins today for the Florida Gators football team, and head coach Billy Napier addressed several topics in a press conference on Tuesday to kick off the preseason.
At least a third of the presser was spent on quarterback DJ Lagway, who is limited to start training camp. Napier provided other injury updates at the beginning of the conference. Still, the fourth-year coach expressed a sense of optimism heading into camp. Florida’s roster has the most depth since the coaching change, and the complementary pieces around Lagway are primed for a strong season. Napier specifically mentioned the offensive line and wide receivers room as points of strength to support Lagway.
At the same time, several position battles are still up in the air. With so much talent, figuring out who the fifth safety on the roster can prove difficult. Here’s everything Napier said ahead of fall training camp.
Opening statement
“Obviously, excited to be back at it, and it’s a fun time of the year. I think it’s good to see some energy in the building. The players had a couple of days off. For them to be back, and then obviously as a staff, as an organization, to be kind of running at full speed ahead here as we approach an exciting time of the year.
“Before we get going here, Joey, Knight’s not with us from the Tampa Bay Times. He had surgery. So he’s in our thoughts and prayers, obviously. Hopefully, he’ll be back with us here soon.
“We do have one thing. We’ll give you a little bit of an injury update and then we’ll have an injury report once we get to week three and are playing in conference, but you guys will be able to be there for practice. I’m going to give you a little bit of a summary here, and then we’ll try to keep it status quo from that point forward. We have a handful of players that are going to be modified that will be limited early in camp. DJ Lagway, Tavaris Dice, Pup Howard, Kahleil Jackson and Treyaun Webb.
“All of those players are a little bit modified here in our day-to-day, as they’re in return to play. So, we have a positive attitude towards where they’re headed and their opportunity to get back here shortly.”
More on DJ Lagway’s injury
“Again, he’s day to day. The good thing is that he, I think, we’re about a week removed. He’s made a lot of quick progress, but it will be something that we’re monitoring, and hopefully as we go, his ability to participate in practice will be a little bit more each opportunity that we get going forward.”
On string injuries for Lagway
“Injuries are one of the tougher things about the profession, and certainly for him being a year or two player, and a really motivated and hungry guy. I think he’s done a good job staying connected. I think he still has a voice as a leader. He’s still walking the halls. He’s still able to be a factor in that regard. But he’s still a very young player, and he needs these reps for development as well.
“When he gets back, he’ll be just fine. He’s had a great attitude towards it, and I think we got to help him manage expectations a little bit as well. In general, one day at a time, being present and executing the plan for each day. I think we got to help him with that.”
How does this affect DJ Lagway’s development?
“It’s not ideal. In a perfect world, he would have been perfect every day of the offseason, right? I think the good thing is his attitude towards it. I think that’s a positive, and I think Coach (Ryan) O’Hara has done a good job of being creative. (The interview room) in particular we’ve used quite a bit, going all the way back to when he first arrived. Just ways to keep him connected, keep him processing.
“We do a ton of things in our offseason program and certainly, OTAs this summer, he was able to take a million reps. We do some of that without the ball, some with the ball. So, look, he’s in year two. He understands what’s required to be ready. It’s not ideal, but we’ll come up with the best plan we can to have him ready.”
On the potential of playing without DJ Lagway
“The big thing would be we’re going to have to play complementary football regardless of who’s playing quarterback. We know that quality depth is critical. There’s going to be weeks where we’re missing three or four, we’re missing six or seven, and I think the depth is critical. It’s a part of playing in this league. The physicality of the league, the level of depth within the league. And I think offensively, we certainly have a really good — when you talk about the front paired with the big, long, physical tight end group, the brand of ball that we were able to play down the stretch. I think we’re in position to do that.
“Quarterback play, and I’ve said this to you guys going all the way back to year one, is always indicative of how well people are playing around you. So, I think we’re always quick to give them the credit and quick to blame them at the same time. I think we got a good surrounding cast on offense, and we got to go get them game-ready. Ultimately, the next month will present an opportunity for that.”
On the level of confidence in backup QBs
“All of our quarterbacks have taken advantage of the reps. Aidan (Warner) in particular, I think has taken a big step in the right direction. And obviously, Harrison (Bailey) being a veteran player, and then Tramell (Jones Jr.), we’ve seen him get healthy and more comfortable in the system.
“Going back to the beginning of the install in the summer — Summer A, Summer B. There’s a ton of competition amongst that group there, and it’s really there’s a little bit of a blessing here that we’re going to get a chance to give those guys a ton of reps and see how they respond to that.”
On DB Aaron Gates’ health
“Aaron’s on schedule. Still in the brace a little bit, and any time a guy’s an ACL guy, as you get into training camp, we’ll be monitoring his volume closely. But, he’s been a full participator here as of late. Those guys, typically there’ll be a day or two we will pull him. But yeah, he’s had an incredible road back. I think he’s been a really good example to everybody of how you attack the rehab process, and looks great.
“So obviously, a really good player for us.”
On building through recruiting more than the transfer portal
“That’s one of the exciting things about this team. I think we look around the room. I think we’ve got 6 or 7 guys from the original group. I think there was a commitment to recruiting big groups of high school players in the beginning. My opinion is that player retention is extremely important. Got a lot of players that are in year two, three, four, in this program, these systems offense, defense and special teams.
“And when I look around the room, I see individuals that I have extensive experience with going all the way back to the recruiting process. I know their story, have been to their schools, have sat in their homes, know their parents, and they chose us to some degree as well. It’s a positive in that regard.
“Now, we’ve had a good offseason and we’ve got a good roster coming back, but now it’s time to go perform. This next month will be about doing that.”
More on importance of multi-year relationships
“I think that college football, the onboarding process of rookie players is really important, and when you have veteran players that have a good understanding of expectations and know what you want and can be a good example to young players, I think that’s really important.
“I think we’ve benefited from that. I thought last year’s team benefited from that, and I think this year has been probably 2 or 3 times as impactful because there is strength in numbers.”
On lessons learned from bye week turnaround in 2024
“Just the ability for our players to be present, to make the practice environment as competitive as possible, and I think this group learned that the practice environment ultimately it’s a huge factor in terms of what gameday looks like. One of the things we’re trying to do this month is establish trust.
“Each individual has got to earn confidence himself. He’s also trying to earn the confidence of the staff and the confidence of his teammates, and I think you do it right out there on the grass between the lines. I think that’s where you prove it to everybody that you can do your job, that we can trust you. The more competitive environment that we have, the better, and I think ultimately we learned that last year and that opened it.”
On the talent surrounding the quarterback
“It’s probably the best combination of personnel around the quarterback. … The O-line obviously has played a lot of football. Really the two-deep up front I would say. I like that group. I think the two tight ends have played a lot of football and Hayden (Hansen) and Tony (Livingston) and then Jadan (Baugh) and Ja’Kobi (Jackson) obviously are very experienced and proved themselves last year.
“We’ve got a group of new receivers to add to the ones that we have coming back. So there’s there’s some stability around the quarterback, and I think that’s that’s a big piece of the puzzle.”
More on the growth of the offensive line
“Some of those guys, this is year four, to some degree; some, year three.
“Austin (Barber) and Jake (Slaughter), they’re two of the six or seven that were here when we first got here. And they’ve improved each cycle, and are in position to have great senior campaigns. And then Knijeah (Harris) and Damien (George Jr.) both have played a lot of football. And here comes Bryce Lovett, who was a part of that first recruiting class that we had.
“And then the the depth behind those is something that maybe we haven’t had. I think we’ve got some players that are in year two and three, in that two deep that I think are in position to be a factor.”
On the wide receivers room
“It’s a deep, competitive group. I’m excited about Aidan (Mizell) being back. I’m excited about Trey (Eugene Wilson III) being healthy, and then you got some of these guys that flashed last year, Tank (Hawkins) and TJ (Abrams), no one talks about them, but they’re they’re coming along and they’re certainly part of the competition and in that battle.
“That’s what the next month is about, seeing who we can trust, who we can depend on, who can be consistent, who can play winning football. If you think about it, there’s five new players in that room that all have a chance to help our team J-Mike (Sturdivant) and Dallas (Wilson) and Vernell (Brown III), Naeshaun (Montgomery) and Muizz (Tounkara). Muizz has had an outstanding summer.
“And look, this is about them developing confidence in themselves. Can we trust them as a coaching staff? Can their teammates trust them? And ultimately, they’re going to earn that on the practice field.”
On starting the season with an FCS instead of a Power Four
“Obviously, Long Island is the next game we have and the most important game. That’s my coach speak for the day. But I would say that, one of the things I’ve learned is it is a big transition when school starts for these guys, and we’re tweaking our schedule a little bit to help them transition into 12 or 15 hours, new routine, new schedule, new processes for our staff.
“So we built our training camp blueprint in a way to kind of start gradually equipping our players for that transition, not only for the players but for the staff as well. But, yeah, your first conference game being in week three. I think ultimately for me, I’m trying to evaluate what we need to do to get better each day, and knowing that we develop our team in a practice setting. But there are certainly some things about school starting. That would be my other thing I would say that I’ve learned.”
On Olivier Rioux practicing with the team
“Man, I think me and Joe (Houston) were just having lunch in the dining hall one day, and the guy walks by and we’re thinking about, you know, man, what is the guy’s reach? And then what’s the guy’s vertical jump relative to the block, launch point in the block spot? So, we did a little bit of homework on that, and it’s to be determined.
“(Coach Todd Golden) is great, and we certainly talked to coach about it before we did anything.”
How does the defense pick up where it left off last year?
“If you really take a good look at what we were able to do last year, a lot of the turnaround was playing better on defense. After the first month, probably Central Florida on, we played good enough to win on defense outside of the Texas game. We’re in position in Jacksonville, we’re in position in Knoxville, as a result of playing really good defense. I think we did a good job affecting the quarterback, we created takeaways and we played good red zone defense, and we kept the point total in a (good) place.
“I think the depth is there. All three levels of the defense. We have some young players that we’re going to have to develop in the secondary that don’t have a ton of experience, but every other spot, there’s a lot of players that have played football. The front — I’m excited about seeing the progress we can make with the second tier of players on defense in training camp. I think it’s an important part of this puzzle.”
On defensive depth
“When I think about our, our defense, I think about building depth in the secondary, working contingency plans. Who is the fourth corner? Who is the fourth, fifth, sixth safety? We’ve got to develop these two young backers and build some depth there at that position.
“And then, after (Caleb) Banks and Michai (Boireau), who else has played some significant snaps in a game. BT (Brien Taylor), Brendan Bett, Tarvorise Brown, and then the rookies obviously have a chance to impact the team. (Joseph) Mbatchou, (Jeramiah) McCloud, (Jayden) Woods. So, how much can we get? How many guys can we get ready to play winning football on that side of the ball?”
On Cormani McClain, LJ McCray and Myles Graham
“I think Cormani has taken the feedback and tried to get better. He needs to become a better tackler. I think the weight room helps that. His physicality, his play strength. Obviously, he’s got to be a better communicator, and he’s got to have a thorough understanding of the playbook right now. This guy, there’s growth. It’s time to do it.
“LJ (McCray) is in a similar (position). LJ got some experience last year, so it’s time for him to take a big jump, and we need him to. And he has position flex at Jack and F I think he can play both spots. LJ, I think did a great job at taking the feedback from the weight room and nutrition from the spring semester, really brought it in that regard and changed his body comp(osition). He’s starting to look like a guy who’s ready to play in this league and be a factor.
“I think you saw that Myles (Graham) is unique in his ability to play as a rookie. Obviously, Myles is in a position where he’s got to communicate. There’s going to be more snaps on his plate, and then obviously he’s got a leadership role. I think he’s he’s got the traits to be a really good leader. So, there’s character there where he can be a steady example for the other players.
“But, we got a lot that fit into that. Just like those three, I think there’s a bunch of those stories.”
On Graham working out at MIKE with Pup Howard out
“We’ve had opportunities to work a lot of combinations of players at that position, and you think about getting the best two out there that are available. But yeah, I mean, who’s got the green dot on? If we play time, who can play Mack? Third down, those types of scenarios, two minutes, Myles is a guy who has a big toolbox there, and I think we need to create opportunities for him to impact the game.
“But what position that is, we need to continue to grow the depth at that position.”
How did you arrive at “spot the ball”
“It was really more of a mentality that was created last year during the season. The verbiage there actually came from our weight room. I think the player bought into it. We obviously get asked about our schedule around here every two or three days, right? I want our team to understand that we can go toe to toe with anybody. Last year’s team proved that, and then we have to get this team ready to do that.
“So, that term to me, when I did that, was a little bit of a reminder to our team that it’s right around the corner and we have work to do to get ready for those opportunities. But the games will be won between the lines when we spot the ball.”
Does the team talk about playoffs?
“We absolutely have aspirations to be a playoff team. That’s the intention of coming here is to win championships.
“Now, what do we know about that? It’s about the work we do. It’s about today. It’s not about yesterday or tomorrow. It’s about today, right? A good today leads to a good week, leads to a good month, leads to a good season. And you look up and count them up at the end of the year. For us it’s about getting the most out of this group. It’s the best thing about coaching football, the challenge of taking this player or this position group and getting the most.
“We know that the results will be a product of really buying into the process, being present, stacking good days and creating habits that will hold up on game day. We’ve got a lot of guys that need to establish that we can trust them, and this next month will present that opportunity.”
On offensive evolution at Florida
“We probably have more players that we would plan around. One of the things we’ve been able to do is take the three or four skill guys that we’ve had and really be creative and get them the ball. I think we have more of those on that list now, which is a good thing.
“You build your system around what the quarterback can do, what he does well, and then you build it around the skill players that you have. That’s the fun part of coaching, is building that identity. It’s got to be flexible enough to win every week, depending on the opponent, the strengths and weaknesses of that week.
“But I like the pieces that we have. Certainly, there’s more of them and that’s a good thing.”
On RB Jadan Baugh’s development
“Freaky numbers. I mean, I think all the testing is — but my challenge to Jadan is to control the things that he can control. Talent, go back to the really big emphasis to me is like, look, if you’re sitting in that room, if you got a locker down there, you got talent. You wouldn’t be at the University of Florida (if you didn’t).
“But it’s about doing all the things that require no talent, right? Can you buy into this idea that you’re unlimited improvement when it comes to your skill set, your toughness and resilience? Your football intelligence? And then what type of teammate you are, and I think for him, he’s got a bright future in the game, but he’s done a good job of improving all these areas that have nothing to do with physical talent. I think he’s a great teammate. He’s a leader, and I think we want to continue to challenge him to be there,.
“If you want to have a good team, some of your better players have got to kind of walk around, set the standard. We’re challenging him to do that.”
On RB Ja’Kobi Jackson’s role in pushing Baugh
“Some of my favorite players are the guys that were unheralded, right? Like that literally came from the bottom to the top. You know, Ja’cob’Kobi Jackson, George Gumbs. You want to write two stories? You write those stories. You know, those two guys are no stars, okay? I mean, they’re not I don’t even know if they have a profile, but they’re two of our best players.
“And they are two of ours that bring an edge to them that to prove themselves. I think they’ve done that. And they’re better, competitors and teammates as a result of that. So, both of those guys are good examples. Certainly. Ja’Kobi rubs off on Jadan.
“Think about it. Jadan got here last year and was able to observe a guy like Ja’Kobi in the way he worked, the way he practiced, his attitude, his energy. Those two guys are are some of our better teammates and players.”
On building a competitive practice environment
“It’s one of the most important things to build on the team, having a competitive practice environment where the game is not too fast for you. You know, I think (Tyreak) Sapp is one of our best practice players, right? He’s consistent. His energy, his attitude. And there’s no doubt that they’ll tell you the guy is tough to block. Then, look at the production on the field and look at the life he lives every day?
“Sapp’s the same guy every day. He’s one of the best edge players in the country as a result of the way he lives life and the way that he approaches the work. So Sapp’s a great story as well, just in terms of his journey and how much better that guy’s got every cycle. This guy went out there.
“I mean, this is year six, if I’m not mistaken, and I think he gained eight or nine pounds of lean muscle again. I mean, the guy got his jumping higher, running faster. So he’s in a position to maximize coming back, and a guy who sets the tone. So it wouldn’t surprise me if the O-linemen don’t like him.”
On Asa Turner’s status with team
“Asa’s transitioning out of football. He’s had really three years of significant injuries in college football. I actually met with Asa this morning. He did a great job when he got here and was a really big contributor early in the season. Got injured and then hasn’t quite been the same guy. And if you really look at Washington the last couple of years.
“So, Asa contributed to our team last year. I’m very thankful for the way he approached being a teammate, his attitude, but he’s at a point where he’s not going to play.”
Does this year feel different than the other three?
“I like the people that we have in our building. You can have a phenomenal offseason. You can be in position and have a great roster, but you’ve got to go put the ball down and play. The reality is that we’ve got to go earn it on the field, and I’m focused on getting this team ready to do that.
“I love the intangibles of the group. There’s a lot of height, length and speed and guys that have experience, but it’s about getting our veteran players to play their best football. And then we have quite a few of these younger players that we need to continue to grow and develop, and we have to get consumed with improvement. And we got to get ready to go play winning football. And I think that’s a process, right? We can run all summer. Football conditioning, football execution is different, and I think that’s what this month is about.
“I love the challenge. This is a challenge worth pursuing, and I think I wouldn’t rather do it with anybody else. I like the group I’m getting to do it with. About a month away, we’ll crack this thing up, but we got a lot of work to do between now and then.”
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Everything Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier said ahead of fall training camp
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
