Florida expected to spend zero money saved from Napier buyout

Florida Gators Head coach Billy Napier has been given 2025 to take another step forward. He will be given the resources to take the next big step.

According to Neil Blackmon of Saturday Down SouthSources say that part of the money that theoretically should have gone towards Billy Napier’s ransom is now going to zero.

Multiple sources: Florida willing to spend money saved from Napier buyout in 2024 to zero https://t.co/jGoDKfn7Nh

— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) November 7, 2024

Florida expects to spend between $10 million and $13 million this offseason with zero investment in players, these sources said. That’s about half the Napier buyout price ($26.5 million).

A source told Saturday Down South that Florida’s improvements at the line of scrimmage and defense, as well as cornerback DJ Lagway, have impressed. They believe that increasing ZERO investment in players, especially in the portal, can lead to a good team in 2025.

You can see the difference in the final results and in-game statistics. Florida was demolished early in the season by Miami and Texas A&M. They then gave up 480 yards to Mississippi State. But then everything started to change.

They decisively defeated UCF and Kentucky at home, took Tennessee in the rankings and pushed Georgia to the bottom. The Gators’ defense was strong in all of these games.

However, no improvements have yet led to victories.

In week 11, Napier has an overall score of 15–18. He never had more than six wins in a season, and the Gators lost in their only bowl appearance. The Gators are currently 4-4 with a 2-3 record in conference play.

Part of this is because they had growing pains, to put it mildly, when it came to NIL.

They were at odds over scoreless issues with guard Jayden Rashada. Rashada sues Billy Napier and Florida supporters on the grounds that he was deceived. He was promised a $13.8 million deal, but those who promised him that deal backed out when he chose Florida and rejected other offers from other schools.

Florida Victorious, NIL’s new band, did a much better job. This could be Florida’s chance to put all that behind them and start attracting top talent to compete.