This was such a great column to wake up to that I hope Franz won’t mind that I’m sharing it. I’ve found that GB is an excellent compliment to my 1st and Ten subscription as the columns are written jn the style I grew up reading from writers like Jack Hairston, Tom McEwen, etc.
Franz Beard:
few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning:
It is called the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder, a section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus spoke of two men, one who built his house on a rock, the other who built his house on sand. When the storms came, the house built on the rock was still standing. The house built on a foundation of sand was swept away.
The parable not only applies to life – with a strong foundation you weather the storms that inevitably come your way – but to football as well. We could point to the Florida Gators as the perfect example. Dan Mullen was fired at the end of the 2021 season because the powers that be at the University of Florida saw a program in decline and mediocrity in the future. Inheriting the remnants of Mullen’s shoddy recruiting, Billy Napier has spent three seasons putting in a foundation that stands on a rock. The first 2-1/2 seasons were the kind that had Florida fans pulling their hair out, wondering how Napier was ever going to keep Gator House from being washed away into a permanent state of losing football. Then came eight sacks of Garrett Nussmeier and a win at The Swamp over LSU followed by a win over Ole Miss a week later. The win over FSU in Tallahassee and the bowl win over Tulane were rewards for a job well done.
So here we are a little less than three months from the start of the 2025 season and rather than the so-called experts explaining why it is Billy Napier won’t last beyond midseason, we find the Gators on the fringe of College Football Playoff expectations. The reason is simple: Napier has put in place a solid foundation that bodes well for the future. Just this past week, ESPN came out with its two-year projections for all 68 schools that make up the power four. Florida, which wasn’t ranked among the top 25 a year ago, is No. 15, which is a very good place to start. At No. 15 the Gators will start the season close enough to get into the CFP mix early and stay there by dealing with a difficult but manageable season.
The Gators have exactly what is necessary to win big in 2025. It starts with a stud quarterback in DJ Lagway; SEC caliber offensive and defensive lines; and speed, depth and athleticism across the board at the other positions. For the first time since he became Florida’s head coach, Napier has a real SEC roster and he’s built it from the ground up.
Florida has only seven transfers and only two – punter Tommy Doman (from Michigan) and wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (from UCLA) – figure to have starting roles. When you only need to dip into the portal for one or two plug and play types, you have a solid foundation, one that can sustain success.
It is that strong foundation that helped Napier land a commitment Friday from 4-star running back Carsyn Baker (6-1, 200, Fairburn, GA Langston Hughes). It’s a big recruiting weekend at UF and Napier could land two or three other studs for the 2026 class. On hand and doing his part to help recruit is quarterback Will Griffin (6-3, 225, Tampa, FL Jesuit). When your quarterback who probably won’t see the field until 2027 is on hand helping to recruit, you know your foundation is built on a rock.
ESPN 2-year projections top 25/SEC: 1. Texas; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Oregon; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Penn State; 7. Clemson; 8. LSU; 9. Tennessee; 10. Alabama; 11. Miami; 12. Arizona State; 13. Michigan; 14. SMU; 15. FLORIDA; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Illinois; 18. South Carolina; 19. Iowa State; 20. Indiana; 21. Kansas State; 22. Missouri; 23. Iowa; 24. Louisville; 25. BYU; 27. Oklahoma; 28. Texas A&M; 37. Auburn; 48. Vanderbilt; 52. Kentucky; 55. Arkansas; 59. Mississippi State
247Sports national recruiting rankings for 2025 (as of June 13/SEC teams bold face): 1. Texas; 2. Georgia; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State; 5. Oregon; 6. Michigan; 7. FLORIDA; 8. Auburn; 9. Texas A&M; 10. LSU; 11. Tennessee; 12. Notre Dame; 13. Southern California; 14. Miami; 15. Penn State; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Oklahoma; 18. South Carolina; 19. Missouri; 21. Georgia Tech; 22. Nebraska; 23. Washington; 24. TCU; 25. Maryland; 26. Clemson; 27. Wisconsin; 28. Mississippi State; 29. Kentucky; 30. Duke; 31. SMU; 32. Arkansas; 77. Vanderbilt
2025 transfers to SEC schools: Mississippi State 33; Arkansas 31; Ole Miss 30; Kentucky 26; Missouri 22; Oklahoma 22; Vanderbilt 20; Auburn 19; LSU 18; South Carolina 18; Texas A&M 14; Alabama 12; Texas 11; Georgia 10; Tennessee 7; Florida 7
Franz Beard:
few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning:
It is called the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder, a section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus spoke of two men, one who built his house on a rock, the other who built his house on sand. When the storms came, the house built on the rock was still standing. The house built on a foundation of sand was swept away.
The parable not only applies to life – with a strong foundation you weather the storms that inevitably come your way – but to football as well. We could point to the Florida Gators as the perfect example. Dan Mullen was fired at the end of the 2021 season because the powers that be at the University of Florida saw a program in decline and mediocrity in the future. Inheriting the remnants of Mullen’s shoddy recruiting, Billy Napier has spent three seasons putting in a foundation that stands on a rock. The first 2-1/2 seasons were the kind that had Florida fans pulling their hair out, wondering how Napier was ever going to keep Gator House from being washed away into a permanent state of losing football. Then came eight sacks of Garrett Nussmeier and a win at The Swamp over LSU followed by a win over Ole Miss a week later. The win over FSU in Tallahassee and the bowl win over Tulane were rewards for a job well done.
So here we are a little less than three months from the start of the 2025 season and rather than the so-called experts explaining why it is Billy Napier won’t last beyond midseason, we find the Gators on the fringe of College Football Playoff expectations. The reason is simple: Napier has put in place a solid foundation that bodes well for the future. Just this past week, ESPN came out with its two-year projections for all 68 schools that make up the power four. Florida, which wasn’t ranked among the top 25 a year ago, is No. 15, which is a very good place to start. At No. 15 the Gators will start the season close enough to get into the CFP mix early and stay there by dealing with a difficult but manageable season.
The Gators have exactly what is necessary to win big in 2025. It starts with a stud quarterback in DJ Lagway; SEC caliber offensive and defensive lines; and speed, depth and athleticism across the board at the other positions. For the first time since he became Florida’s head coach, Napier has a real SEC roster and he’s built it from the ground up.
Florida has only seven transfers and only two – punter Tommy Doman (from Michigan) and wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (from UCLA) – figure to have starting roles. When you only need to dip into the portal for one or two plug and play types, you have a solid foundation, one that can sustain success.
It is that strong foundation that helped Napier land a commitment Friday from 4-star running back Carsyn Baker (6-1, 200, Fairburn, GA Langston Hughes). It’s a big recruiting weekend at UF and Napier could land two or three other studs for the 2026 class. On hand and doing his part to help recruit is quarterback Will Griffin (6-3, 225, Tampa, FL Jesuit). When your quarterback who probably won’t see the field until 2027 is on hand helping to recruit, you know your foundation is built on a rock.
ESPN 2-year projections top 25/SEC: 1. Texas; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Oregon; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Penn State; 7. Clemson; 8. LSU; 9. Tennessee; 10. Alabama; 11. Miami; 12. Arizona State; 13. Michigan; 14. SMU; 15. FLORIDA; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Illinois; 18. South Carolina; 19. Iowa State; 20. Indiana; 21. Kansas State; 22. Missouri; 23. Iowa; 24. Louisville; 25. BYU; 27. Oklahoma; 28. Texas A&M; 37. Auburn; 48. Vanderbilt; 52. Kentucky; 55. Arkansas; 59. Mississippi State
247Sports national recruiting rankings for 2025 (as of June 13/SEC teams bold face): 1. Texas; 2. Georgia; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State; 5. Oregon; 6. Michigan; 7. FLORIDA; 8. Auburn; 9. Texas A&M; 10. LSU; 11. Tennessee; 12. Notre Dame; 13. Southern California; 14. Miami; 15. Penn State; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Oklahoma; 18. South Carolina; 19. Missouri; 21. Georgia Tech; 22. Nebraska; 23. Washington; 24. TCU; 25. Maryland; 26. Clemson; 27. Wisconsin; 28. Mississippi State; 29. Kentucky; 30. Duke; 31. SMU; 32. Arkansas; 77. Vanderbilt
2025 transfers to SEC schools: Mississippi State 33; Arkansas 31; Ole Miss 30; Kentucky 26; Missouri 22; Oklahoma 22; Vanderbilt 20; Auburn 19; LSU 18; South Carolina 18; Texas A&M 14; Alabama 12; Texas 11; Georgia 10; Tennessee 7; Florida 7
