GAINESVILLE, Florida — Read what Florida head coach Billy Napier said during his recruiting class of 2024 Early Signing Period press conference on Wednesday, after the Gators signed 17 high school prospects, four through the NCAA transfer site, and one from junior college.
BILLY NAPIER: I believe that when you reach a day like today, you realize that it requires a collective effort. I believe we are extremely lucky at the University of Florida to have such a strong team. I can’t thank the administration enough for everything they’ve done here over the last two years to enhance the process, to better the player experience, and to allow us to compete and sign the finest players in the country, which we accomplished today.
I’d want to thank our coaches who have been on the road. Our on-field coaches will be on the road for two weeks or more. We placed Kali Kames and Chad Lucas on the road, and they both did an excellent job.
Certainly, Coach [Will] Harris’s opportunity to get out there was beneficial.
Our personnel department is full of amazing people. Jacob LaFrance, Nick McDonald, and Joe Hamilton were all-stars during this campaign. Bird Sherrill.
We have some pretty good people in the back there. I can’t say enough good things about them in terms of the evaluation process, roster management, being young and skilled, and having an excellent work ethic. I believe we improved there.
Bri Wade, the on-campus recruiting department, was amazing. We added Skylar Wise to the mix midway through the process, and she did an excellent job. Katie Turner’s leadership in that recruiting strategy role is undeniable; she is another all-star who makes a difference, and I believe we all agree on that.
We have excellent pilots who work around the clock. They completed their duties and made a significant contribution to our success. I think the players did a good job this cycle. I can’t applaud them enough on their messaging and ability to connect with the players and their families. They are the best recruiters we have based on their experience here.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t credit Florida Victorious, where we spent almost 18 months developing a genuine methodical strategy. We have excellent leadership there. Jose Costa, Nate Barbera, their time investment, and a number of investors have all had a significant impact on our capacity to recruit at the highest levels.
Lots of local venues. Spurrier’s performance has been superb. We absolutely appreciate Coach [Steve Spurrier] and Freddie [Wehbe] and everything they do to aid us. This year, both the 1908 Grand and the Hotel Eleo made an impact.
It’s a good group from top to bottom. I understand you have a lot of questions here. We have a mix of high school and portal to discuss today, but I believe there are a couple opportunities available. We’re going to try to plug some voids here, but 19 of these players are mid-year, and I believe we have a little bit of space to work. It’s a mid-year position.
