Is Billy Napier done at Florida? 3 things Gators coach needs to do to save his job

One of the biggest elephants in the room that is college football is Billy Napier's future. At 12-16 in season three, Florida coach Napier is very likely about to be the team's former coach.

However, the sword apparently hasn't fallen yet, and it's time to ponder what could save Billy Napier's job.

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Is Billy Napier done at Florida?

Freshman QB DJ Lagway could help Billy Napier keep his job at UF. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

It's entirely plausible that he is. Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen didn't get multiple losing seasons before the plug was pulled on them.

Napier has to walk right and impress the staff at Florida. Here are three things Billy Napier needs to do to surprisingly return at Florida.

#1 Win seven or so games

This is by far the hardest of the three things Napier needs to do, simply because Florida isn't very good, and their schedule is brutal.

At 1-2, Florida has to win Saturday at Missisppi State. After that, a bye week and then a likely home win at UCF follows. A win at Tennessee is unlikely, and then a crucial home game with Kentucky is up next.

However, if Florida can end October at 4-3, a bowl appearance isn't impossible. The finale against Florida State seems a lot more plausible for the team to win than in the preseason. The season then would rest in pulling an upset of LSU or Ole Miss at home, with the LSU win being more likely.

All wins aren't created equal. If Florida limps to an ugly 6-6 mark and wins a lower-tier bowl, it might not be enough. But upset Tennessee or stay competitive with Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss, and Napier could certainly help his situation on the field.

#2 Use DJ Lagway and establish a future

It seemed so easy that Napier couldn't mess it up-- until he did. After Graham Mertz was injured in the opener, Napier had to turn to freshman DJ Lagway in Week 2. All Lagway did was throw for 456 yards and make numerous explosive plays.

Admittedly, the SEC isn't like FCS Samford. But even if Lagway struggles, his potential and his future provide Napier with some cover.

Not ready this season? If a guy like Lagway is showcased, keeping Napier around to see his recruit into maturity seems a lot more likely than otherwise.

#3 Recruit, recruit, recruit

The Gators are 21st in the 247sports evaluation of the 2025 recruiting class. That's not enough, as it's 10th in the SEC. But if Napier can get together an imposing recruiting class, much as with Lagway above, keeping the guy around who put it together doesn't seem so crazy.

In 2024, the Gators ended up with the No. 13 recruiting class, which was sixth among teams currently in the SEC. Working at least along those lines is probably necessary.

Can Napier pull it off? At the moment, UF has a commitment from only one of Florida's top dozen 2025 high school recruits. Maybe some of those other players could be flipped or UF will grab the two uncommitted players in that top dozen recruits. But being able to sell a promising future would help Napier make sure he's around for that future.

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What do you think about Billy Napier's job situation at Florida? Will he return?