Boy, oh boy, Billy Napier is done for. The season opener was a disaster, and the same continued during the second game against Miami. The Samford game did give Gators fans some hope, but Napier and his bad luck were quick to follow and the team lost their 4th game to Texas A&M. All the problems boil down to Napier and his poor decision-making. Having someone like DJ Lagway at your disposal and then using Graham Mertz as your starting QB makes no sense. And if that wasn’t enough, Napier even lost his star WR (Kahlil Jackson) before the season started. You cannot help but feel bad for this man because his job is on the line right now.

And that is exactly what Paul Finebaum explained on The Matt Barrie Show on September 16. “A lot of people are saying and asking the question, ‘Can Florida afford to spend $26 million to fire Billy Napier?’ I respond by saying, ‘Can they afford to keep him?’ And my answer is no, they cannot afford to keep Billy Napier because he has been an abject disaster,” Finebaum mentioned, via The Matt Barrie Show.

Look, you can hate on Paul as much as you want, but you have to agree that Napier has messed up. The entire schedule for Florida is a big hill to climb. The games against Florida St., Samford, or A&M were the only ones where Napier could’ve maintained a good grip to lead his team forward. If we look at the other end, the team still has to go against mammoths like the Longhorns, Bulldogs, Ole Miss, etc. There is no shot Billy Napier and his boys would last during those games. “No way they’re going to have a winning season,” Finebaum noted.

To watch a team that had 3 National Championship wins, crawl on the mud like this is a sight no fan should see. A good point that has been raised because of the recent drama is whether UF even has the resources to buy out Napier’s contract. While it is true that the loss of A&M pretty much soft-launched Billy Napier’s firing, UF still has to pay the man $20 million if they want him gone. So what other options do Napier and the Gators have?

A chance for Billy Napier to turn things around

The main concern right now is the roster. We already saw multiple injury reports coming out of the Gators, and that is not a good look. Jackson is already not playing, and the Gators had also reported that the replacement WR Eugene Wilson was also injured. The best way to deal with this is to bring out the freshmen.

Yes, it won’t automatically secure the team the wins they need, but it will give them some leeway. Hightop Sports had noted back on September 7 that Napier has to make use of QB DJ Lagway more. The HC can focus on building a proper chemistry between Lagway and the freshmen and maybe that will give them some breathing room.

Even Finebaum agreed that Lagway is a much safer option right now. “Had he gone with Lagway and lost by the same score, I don’t think his situation would be nearly as bad today,” Finebaum mentioned. Mertz is not the guy who can save the Gators. More so because of their schedule. This brings us to the second point. Dealing with teams like Bulldogs or Longhorns will not be easy and it would be farfetched to say the Gators stand a chance. However, it never hurts to try.

So, let’s wait and watch what UF plans on doing. Will Napier retain his job by the end of the season or is he a goner? Let us know what you think.