Florida among teams most likely to rebound in 2022 season, per ESPN
The Florida Gators were one of 13 Division I college football teams that had their average points per game decrease by more than 10 in 2021, but ESPN thinks UF is primed to bounce back under first-year head coach Billy Napier.
In a breakdown of teams likely to improve in 2022, ESPN’s Bill Connelly has the Gators improving by 2.9 points per game (11.0 to 13.9) and finishing 23rd overall in SP+ with a 7-5 record. That’s a far cry from the Gators’ monstrous average of 23.9 points per game in 2020, when the team ranked sixth in SP+.
But improvement takes time, especially when Dan Mullen left Napier a rather empty talent cupboard. Connelly notes the Gators still have plenty of players brimming with potential that could make things go right.
As is always the case when a coach takes over a job in which their predecessor was fired, there are potential stumbling blocks in Gainesville. The skill corps is very thin outside of receiver Justin Shorter and transfers Montrell Johnson (Louisiana) and Ricky Pearsall (Arizona State), and the defense wasn’t nearly disruptive enough last fall. But quarterback Anthony Richardson has flashed immense potential, key defenders Ventrell Miller (linebacker) and Jaydon Hill (cornerback) return from injury, and the schedule includes only a couple of truly likely losses (vs. Georgia, at Texas A&M).
As it stands, the Gators have a 69% chance of improving their record, and Richardson reaching his full potential (or maybe even just some of it) would increase that number by a lot.
Florida isn’t expected to bounce back nearly as strongly as some other programs, such as USC, but the Gators should be better than last year.
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