Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier addresses the team’s upcoming game against Kentucky and the transition from starting quarterback Graham Mertz to DJ Lagway. Napier discusses several key points:
- The team’s resilience and character, praising their performance in the previous game
- DJ Lagway’s preparation and development as he steps into the starting role
- Graham Mertz’s continued involvement with the team despite his injury
- The challenges posed by Kentucky’s defense and their quarterback situation
- The importance of depth in the SEC, particularly at the quarterback position
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Opening statement:
“Okay guys, I would tell you that it felt like fall out there today. I think we’re finally in October here in Gainesville, and it feels like fall, so incredible day of practice today. But yeah, I mean, I think in general, I have a respect for this team in terms of the way they stayed the course, the endurance that they showed. Again, we talked about their performance and character. They probably played their best this past Saturday in terms of their performance-character, and then certainly the moral character of this group, the makeup of the group has allowed them to continue to work in a way that has allowed us to continue to improve. So we’re going to need to do that. And it’s these small things over time that will add up, and hopefully we can continue to get better here, so I’m excited about this weekend. Obviously, a lot going on, and we’re looking forward to it.”
On what he knows about the 1984 team that will be honored:
“They had three first round running backs and a couple first round offensive linemen, first SEC championship, obviously there’s some history there from the NCAA standpoint, but, yeah, really, really impressive group as a whole, you know, when you dig into the personnel, the coaching staff, and ultimately, kind of put Florida on the map for the first time, so, ton of work that went into that. And, yeah, I’m excited that they’re all coming back, hopefully get a chance to meet some of them.”
On DJ Lagway’s sense of urgency as the starter with defenses focusing on him:
“Yeah, I think that, I would like to think that he has been preparing as if he’s one play away from being in the game at any point in time. And I think his work habits have been established, you know. I think he’s had an opportunity to observe Graham. I think that’s been beneficial in terms of what that grind looks like, you know, from a film-study perspective, from a self-discipline, routine standpoint, and then ultimately, you know, the entire process in terms of meetings, walkthrough, arm care, pre-practice, post-practice, you know, how to kind of build momentum and put yourself in position where you can play with confidence, because you prepared the right way. We’re in a lot better place than maybe we would have been if Graham didn’t get injured earlier in the year, and then obviously he’s played in each game, so, yeah, I mean, I think there’s also some benefit to taking every rep with the first team. And then I think the challenge is for every part of our team to kind of raise their level of play, knowing that we’re going to be playing with a rookie quarterback. Obviously’s showed that he’s very capable, very talented. And I think, again, like I’ve said many times, he’s going to continue to get better. With the more reps he takes, the better he’ll get.”
On Aidan Warner as back-up over Clay Millen:
“I’ve been very impressed with Aidan. Aiden’s a big guy,6-3, you know, 205, 210 pounds and has arm talent, very productive high school player, obviously spent a year at Yale. Yeah, we I think we’ve identified a really good player there. He had a good practice today. Four-point play period I think he went four for four. So it’s going to take him reps as well, right? He’s going to be very much like some of these guys we’ve had in the past that get kind of thrown into the fire, but he’s taking all the reps with the twos, and I think ultimately he’ll get better every day.”
On Graham Mertz aiding the inexperienced quarterbacks while injured:
“Yeah, no, he’s been around, I think, every event we’ve had since Saturday, he’s been there. He’s sitting in his chair of the team meeting, he’s in the quarterback meeting, the offensive unit meeting, at practice, you know, in the weight room, in the training room, so I think it’s going to be huge. And look, that’s the first thing that he says is, like, ‘I want to be here every step of the way’, right? So, yeah, I think ultimately there’ll be something about this that I think galvanizes the team to some degree, and Graham will be a huge part of that, for sure.”
On how much it means to him that Mertz is staying engaged:
“Look, anybody that knows Graham Mertz wouldn’t expect anything else. He’s loyal, loyal as they come in terms of — I think as a teammate, as a coach, we’re all on the same team together. This guy’s been running the show and what an offseason. He and I were having conversations just to see the evolution of him as a leader, his voice on our team. He kind of found that coming to Florida, gained the respect of his teammates and this staff with how he competed last year and then just the way he worked this offseason. I kind of saw him get into a great place as a competitor, the last couple weeks in particular. It’s a shame that he’s injured but he’s going to make somebody a good quarterback in the NFL. He’s going to play for a long time.”
On Mertz saying he wanted to suit up on Saturday:
“Yeah, this guy’s a real one now. I have as much respect for him as any player I’ve ever coached. He’s a real one.”
On Kentucky quarterback Gavin Wimsatt:
“It is an absolutely critical factor in the game. I think the point you bring up is a great one relative to this game. I think two quarterbacks, they run both but, obviously, the second player there that comes in is a big, physical athlete. He’s 225 pounds, obviously at Rutgers was a very effective runner there. Almost as if you’re in a wildcat formation when he’s in the game and they do some really unique things there to add and extra box. You’re short a defender. It’s definitely a huge part of the game for sure.”
On kicking to Barion Brown:
“Barion Brown, he can keep you up at night. He’s definitely one of the more explosive players. Love his game, love how he plays. He’s a polished receiver and a dynamic returner. I think the guy’s had five kickoff returns for a touchdown in the SEC and certainly all the gadget touch screen, reverse and then the vertical shots. This guy is one of the best vertical players in the country and then it’s a big part of the game.”
On Dike’s punt returning:
“Well first thing is, he’s extremely intelligent. He’s smart, he’s aware, he’s got good football intelligence, he’s very mature and I think he makes good decisions. The punt returner, No. 1 off the top of the list is ball security, get the ball back to the offense and with the variations of punts that you get these days, that guy’s got to be a really good decision-maker and communicator. All those guys that are blocking for him, he’s their vision the way he communicates is really important. Chim has done a nice job in that area and then also he’s a dynamic player. He’s got real football speed and he’s showed the ability to make good decisions. Let’s not overlook the look of the other 10 players. There’s some really great efforts on the tape. Punt return comes down to one-on-one matchups. That gunner, jammer dynamic. Spierto being the (unintelligible), you got DD Johnson, Devin Moore, you got some unique holdups, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Myles Graham, Jamarkis Weston, you got a lot of individual matchups that are taking place there and those guys take pride in it. Obviously, coach Houston, coach Couch, those guys work their butt off at it.”
On Cam Jackson:
“He’s trending up. It’s a big year for Cam. He came back for a reason. He’s trying to obviously make an impact on our team and help our team have success but he’s also trying to increase his value. He has a different level of self-discipline. He has made his weight every Friday for weeks. I think he’s leaner and I think his practice habits have improved. Coach Chatman has done a good job with him. He’s using his length and, ultimately, I think his football intelligence is increasing. He needs to continue to head in that direction for our team but also for himself.”
On Mark Stoops’ defense:
“I think that their coordinator, in my opinion, is very underrated. His group is consistently one of the better defensive units in our league and it’s a very unique concept relative to other weeks. Ultimately, they’re creating a four-man rush and playing three-deep, four underneath and about dozens of different ways. A lot of zone. Obviously, there’s some situational man coverage and then here come the five-man pressures, the six-man pressures, but overall, there’s a ton of height, length and verified speed on the field and they got some game-wreckers up front. I think they’ve done a good job of evaluating and developing and I think he’s added a layer to that thing every year that’s made it a little more complex. They give everybody fits. This is a tough group for sure.”
DJ’s progress reading defenses from spring to now?
“He’s on a different planet. I think you’re literally where we’re standing here we started the first day doing walk- throughs on this screen, and he played 1000s of plays right here in this room all the way back in January with Coach O’Hara and Graham. So, I think the big thing is the puzzle; he’s got to put the puzzle pieces together – our concept, their concept, the more reps, the better anticipation that he can continue to move quicker and make better decisions. So he’ll get better every day.”
Coach White has been there for a while and Stoops. Have you learned anything from facing them twice?
“I just expect it to be ugly. They do a good job. They play complimentary football. I think they’re tough. I think they’ve got a philosophy, in terms of all parts of their team – offense, defense and kicking game. I respect them, and obviously I’ve known a lot of these guys for a long time – they’re good at what they do. They do a good job.”
Bye week changes seem to have worked. Who’s calling the plays on defense?
“We got a whole staff of people that call plays on defense. We prepare all week as a team to get ready, much like we do on offense. So, I think there’s a ton of input and back and forth throughout the week and on game day. They all contribute.”
How much is simplification benefited defense … getting signs in, aligning, shrinking things down a bit?
“Yeah, I think ultimately we’ve improved the practice environment. I think the practice habits have improved. For me, we have seen great collaboration between the players and the coaches. Sometimes these things are maybe a little one-sided. I think ultimately because of the character of the group, they’ve been working, they’re looking for solutions, too. So, we all have a decision to make. We can blame others, or we can take accountability. I think we’ve seen both players and staff take accountability, and the practice habits have improved. Obviously we’ve worked hard on the football. I think the fundamentals have improved. And again, go back to that open day we specifically talked about the between-play process. We did three practices, every single player was call it and we tried to fix that. SoI think we found the right mix there. And look, we played good for a couple weeks and got to see if we could sustain this. And I’m hopeful we can.”
Anyone stand out on scout team specifically?
“There’s dozens of them. I mean, I would tell you that, that I go over for an inside run every Tuesday, you know? We got Mark Faircloth, Chase Stevens, Jason Zandamela, Enoch Wangoy, Gavin Hill’s doing a nice job over there. Who else? Rubio, DeBraun Hampton, Brian Green Jr., there’s a ton of players on that scout offense. We probably should give you the job takers of the week every week. But then defensively Quincy Ivory, he’s over there working on our field. He was, he was on fire yesterday. We’re just trying to recreate some of the rushes that we’re going to get. Sebastian Scott does a good job. Tarvorise Brown is phenomenal. Justin Pelic, Ethan Wilson, Javion Toombs. We got a bunch of them.
Brayden Slade.. And look, they not only take reps replicating the other team’s offense and defense, but they also do the entire special teams operation. But, yeah I think that’s a story. We’ll give you some of those guys if you want to write a story about it.”
Five running backs coming in, some banged up, good to have depth?
“Yeah, welcome to the SEC. I think ultimately that’s why you need depth at that position. That’s ultimately, you think back, that’s why we took Ja’Kobi Jackson mid-spring summer. You just need quality players and quality depth there because of the workload and obviously the brand of football that we play, and those guys play on special teams, and for you to have a great practice environment you got to have some depth. So, no long-term issues there. I think we’re just kind of working our way each week with what’s available. Treyaun’s been able to do some things this week, which is good. You guys will get the entry report tonight. But,I just think in general, you go to the park with what you have every week.”
Edge with the team coming off a disappointing loss?
“I just walked off that field. I think sometimes maybe you learn something about yourself when you go play on the road against a good team. And, you know, we’re literally, pick a play and maybe it goes the other way. And, I think there was some ownership there from all parts of our team about, hey, look, we’re close. I think it became tangible to some degree. So, the key is that we have to continue to work in the same capacity, with the same enthusiasm, intensity for us to continue to get better. We have to have endurance. The character has to continue to stand out up and over, right? You got to be different to do this. It’s not for the average guy. I think this group is learning. They’re learning how to win. We’re getting there. We got to get closer. We get a chance to get back out there Saturday night, and they want to play. They’re excited to play.”
Similar situation to when Jack Miller went down behind Anthony Richardson? Are you limited in what you can call for DJ because of the lack of depth?
“It’s a very similar situation. I would compare it. It’s exactly what it’s like except for it’s the starter and not the backup. I think there’ll be an element of that from a decision-making standpoint, you know, calculated risk, all of those things. And both of these guys have done a good job. I mean, I think even the other night both guys did a good job kind of having awareness. It’s third down, it’s not and get all you can get. I thought Graham really had a couple of plays where he knew he needed a few more, and he was decisive, and then they both slid a couple of times when they needed to. So, it’s part of playing that position these days. In our league, heck, it might as well be the NFL. So, you see those guys at the next level, they get presented with the same decisions. I think we had probably the highest injury rate at quarterback in the NFL last year, right? So, big point of emphasis across the board with that position and always spend a bunch of time on trying to help them with it.”
How do you navigate that as a play caller?
“I think it’s more about when the quarterback is involved, he has to be a good decision-maker.”
Did you know Graham hurt his knee two plays earlier?
“Yeah, he didn’t tell us that. It’s a great story, by the way. Don’t know if he’s told you about it, but he felt like something wasn’t right. Stayed out there, handed the ball off, then he knew it was hurt. And then, he heard the play call and he said, ‘That’s going to be a touchdown. I’m going to hang in there for one more.’ And then he delivers. So, it’s a great story, and I think it resembles the guy as a competitor. He’s pretty special.”
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