Now that’s some huge glow-up for Florida Gators. After all, we have all seen how life got hard for HC Billy Napier. He failed to put a smile back on the fans’ faces, rounding off the season with an 8-5 overall record. That’s when Napier was almost pushed to the edge as his buyout figures worth $27.1 million started to do rounds. But ultimately, Florida thought of giving their HC one more chance. And guess what? Napier made the most use of this last chance narrative. This season has been all about the HC spreading his recruiting magic. At the moment, it’s the 307 lb beast who is leaning toward the Gators while scouting his next home.
Back in January, 17 players from Napier’s army had jumped into the portal. In return, to strike the balance, the Gators could sign only eight players and enrolled 19 commits. In the list of On3’s 2025 Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings, Florida’s rate card is quite impressive. Napier and Co. grabbed the No.10 spot. They are now a family of one 5-star player, fifteen 4-stars, and eleven 3-stars. However, Napier can’t have his good night’s sleep yet. He is out on the track with his recruiting wand. Turns out that the power of the magic stick is huge. After all, the 4-star prospect Reed Ramsier is head over heels for the Gators.
4-star OL from Orlando was “so freaking excited” when Florida offered on Saturday.
“All of my friends and family that are close to me are all Gators.”
The latest: https://t.co/f8goTAC6TI (On3+) pic.twitter.com/FYyx0T4pUh
— Corey Bender (@Corey_Bender) April 1, 2025
On April 1, On3Sports analyst Corey Bender tweeted, “4-star OL from Orlando was “so freaking excited” when Florida offered on Saturday.” The 6’4” and 295-pounder out of The First Academy in Orlando made the trip to Gainesville on Saturday, March 29. Back there, he got a close look at the spring practice and got handed a scholarship offer. Now, this offer means a lot to Ramsier. After all, he has found one or the other Florida connection throughout his life. “It’s a big SEC offer. I wouldn’t say I grew up a Florida Gator, but I was surrounded by Gators everywhere. All of my friends and family that are close to me are all Gators,” said Ramsier. Not just football, but the academic opportunities make the university stand out.
“They’re definitely a top program mixed with being one of the top public universities with their academics. It’s definitely a great option for me and I look forward to the future,” Ramsier noted. Other than Napier, his coaching staff and his players’ roster played a vital role in wooing the offensive lineman. “I think what really stood out was a lot of the meetings. Coach (Rob) Sale, just going over everything and what to expect at practice with the players, and also just watching the two coaches, him and coach (Jonathan) Decoster, interact with the players and how they interact with them. They’re all brothers in the offensive line room.” By now, Ramsier, holding the No.29 position in state, has become a familiar face in Gainesville. This marked his fifth visit.
The first time he took a trip to Florida was two years ago, during their face-off against Arkansas. Now, the race is surely tough. Ramsier holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Oklahoma, Miami, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Syracuse, and UCF, among others. So, where does Napier’s program stand on his priority list? “I’m going to be going to Oklahoma and SMU [this] weekend. I’m definitely going to try to get up to Florida for sure this summer. I just want to keep the relationship going with Coach Sale and Coach Napier… top five for sure. It’s high up there and definitely up on my list,” assured the OL. Already, Florida is on cloud nine with another big catch.
How Billy Napier left Josh Heupel to feel a sting
That’s because they have replaced Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers and got themselves a seat at the No.10 position in the Recruiting Rankings. How was that possible? Well, they hooked the No. 1 unsigned player in the country, the 4-star cornerback J’Vari Flowers. So, even though Heupel holds two 5-star players in his 2025 recruiting class, they got demoted to a rank lower than the Gators. Meanwhile, Napier and Co. left Miami, Auburn, and Notre Dame behind in the Flowers’ race.
This marked their third commitment in the cornerback room. Flowers joins early-enrollee Ben Hanks III and February signee Onis Konanbanny. However, they hardly care. After all, the college football programs were going gaga over him. Why wouldn’t they? He comes off as a complete package of good fluidity and can change directions well. Not to forget his scintillating 10.43-second mark in the 100 meters along with a 20.95-second time in the 200 meters. While Flowers comes off as a steal deal, Napier is already living in the future.
Corey Bender reported that the Gators recently entered the race for elite offensive tackle Qua Ford, extending an offer to the high school sophomore on March 25. Yes, that’s how Billy Napier is fortifying his squad, making up for the troubles that the Gators had to go through under him over the years. No more mess-ups must be the Florida Gators HC’s mantra now.
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