For the first time in a while, there was plenty of joy on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, Florida. During the Gators 29-21 victory over No. 9 Texas (3-2), the offense looked revitalized behind quarterback DJ Lagway and start freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson. Because of this, head coach Billy Napier enjoyed a night without pitchforks pointed in his direction.
However, for anyone who thinks that this victory got Napier off the hot seat is delusional and doesn’t understand the big picture. All the victory accomplished was to give everyone in Gainesville a much-needed sense of relief, but that feeling should not have lasted very long.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, left, and Florida head coach Billy Napier meet mid field before an NCAA football game in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 4, 2025. © Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
That is because before December, the Gators still play No. 5 Texas A&M (5-0), No. 10 Georgia (4-1), No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0), No. 12 Tennessee and (4-1) No. 25 Florida State (3-2). That is a gauntlet that will continue to keep Napier on the hot seat throughout the season, because the chances of the Gators winning enough games to take him off are slim to none.
So, what would it take for Napier to officially be off the hot seat? Would a 7-5 regular season be enough to save his job? That is highly unlikely, considering that is same record the Gators had in 2024. So, at a minimum, Florida would need to finish 8-4 for there to be any realistic inkling of Napier keeping his job in 2026.
And this is where the reality of the situation arises. In order to finish 8-4, the Gators need to go 6-1 the rest of the way. With five of the last seven games coming against current Top 25 teams, that is an extremely high mountain to climb for Napier and the Gators. It is a mountain too high to climb.
More Sports News
.wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla),
.wp-block-group:where(.alignfull) > .wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla) {
width: calc(100vw – (var(–side-spacing) * 2)) !important;
}
.embla {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.embla__container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
gap: 0 !important;
width: 75%;
}
.embla__slide {
margin-inline-end: var(–column-gap);
}
.embla__arrow,
.embla__arrow:active,
.embla__arrow:target,
.embla__arrow:hover,
.embla__arrow:focus-visible {
display: none;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
transform: translateY(-50%);
width: 40px;
height: 40px;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
color: var(–color-primary);
border-radius: 100vw;
svg {
width: 24px;
}
}
.embla__prev {
left: 0;
}
.embla__next {
right: 0;
}
]]>
Florida fans should have been happy on Saturday, but overall, it was just a slight reprieve from the reality that is coming in December. The Gators will be looking for a new coach at the end of the season.