• last year
Gators head coach Billy Napier discusses recruiting challenges at the end of Florida's 2023 season, following decommitments from EDGE Jamonta Waller, CB Wardell Mack and DL Nasir Johnson.
Transcript
00:00 - Can you speak a little bit to the challenges
00:02 that come with recruiting at this time of year
00:03 and keeping a strong class together
00:05 just when the results have been
00:07 what they've been on the field as of late?
00:08 - Yeah, no, it's a battle.
00:09 I mean, I think, and look, it's not this time of year.
00:14 It's every day of the year, right?
00:16 So it's part of the job, you know?
00:20 And look, I would tell you, you win some, you lose some,
00:25 you know, and I think it's highly competitive.
00:27 I think it's good to have some players
00:29 that everybody want, you know, truth be known.
00:32 So look, it comes with the territory.
00:36 I think recruiting challenges your resiliency, you know?
00:40 And, you know, ultimately for me,
00:42 I think it's important that we get it right
00:44 in the front end, right?
00:45 We want players that have conviction about being here,
00:49 that believe in, you know, the experience
00:53 that they're gonna have at the University of Florida
00:55 relative to the degree, all the things that come along
00:58 with being an alumni here,
01:00 the resources that we have to offer as a football program.
01:04 And, you know, you got a bat, you know,
01:07 sometimes you're gonna go through some things like that.
01:10 It's nothing new, right?
01:12 This is a year round battle that we do.
01:15 We do it every year,
01:16 and we're right in the middle of some of those.
01:20 - When you have a few losses like you've had,
01:23 is it important to punch back
01:25 and maybe go get some wins in the recruiting?
01:29 Is that like the most important thing right now?
01:31 - Well, I think momentum's real.
01:35 And look, I think this, anyone would,
01:39 at any profession, you know,
01:43 I think momentum's a key component, right?
01:45 And I think ultimately there's one way
01:48 to get momentum back, right?
01:49 And that's to go compete, you know?
01:51 We specifically have talked about that.
01:54 So, you know, I'm watching Buffalo the other night,
01:59 you know, and I'm sitting there thinking,
02:01 you know, we're not the only team in America
02:04 that can go through some challenges, right?
02:06 So, you know, I think it's part of it.
02:10 And look, it's what we sign up for, right?
02:14 It's part of the challenge.
02:15 It's part of the competition.
02:17 I mean, I think recruiting is highly competitive.
02:21 You know, I enjoy it.
02:23 And, you know, there's always gonna be some of that.
02:28 You know, it's not going away, right?
02:32 So you gotta get used to it.

Recommended