Florida Football Kicks Off Spring Practice Thursday

The Florida Gators kick off spring football camp Thursday in Year 4 of coach Billy Napier’s tenure.

Practice Schedule

The Gators are set to practice (15 days in all) Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with an additional practice on the Friday before the second scrimmage. The spring game April 12 marks the end of the camp and will give fans a first look at Florida football.

Practice Days:

• First Practice: Thursday
• Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays: Middle of March-Early April
• Friday, April 4

Off Days:

Spring Break: March 16-22

Scrimmages:

• Saturday, March 29
• Saturday, April 5
• Saturday, April 12: Spring Game

Orange and Blue Game Announcement 🟠🔵

🗓️ April 12th
🕐 1:00 PM

See you there! 🐊

Presented by: @Fl_Victorious pic.twitter.com/KntWyGStVm

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) January 17, 2025

New Faces To Watch

Nineteen players from the 2025 signing class enrolled early and are on campus participating in offseason conditioning. Some include four stars: Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and Ben Hanks Jr.

Wide receiver Vernell Brown III, from Orlando Jones High School, completed 70 passes for 1,363 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, four of which were on special teams. last year. Brown III is expected to be a strong receiver for the Gators.

Dallas Wilson is another top wide receiver the Gators signed. In his senior year at Tampa Bay Tech, he caught 41 passes for 677 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He led his team to the regional finals during his junior season.

Another dominant enrollee is cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. Florida will continue to develop him, but he already knows how to maneuver through the offense as he had 13 interceptions his senior year at Booker T. Washington High School.

Florida’s new freshman and transfer class will boost the Gators throughout the 2025 season. J. Michael Sturdivant, a transfer from UCLA, provides a potential big target for quarterback DJ Lagway at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. Sturdivant had 22 catches for 215 yards and two TDs for the Bruins last season.

The Gators will also have new faces on the coaching staff. Florida hired Washington safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri to replace Austin Armstrong and become the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Sunseri worked under Nick Saban as a player and graduate assistant at Alabama and under Bill Belichick as a running backs coach with the New England Patriots.

Secondary coach Will Harris left UF unexpectedly last month and was replaced quickly by Arkansas secondary coach Deron Wilson, who worked as a quality control assistant under Napier in 2022.

Eyes On Returnees

Returning athletes will also have a light on them. After finishing the season as a starter with 1,915 passing and 101 rushing yards, Lagway face pressure to continue leading the Gators to victories as he did in the four last games of the 2024 season.

Myles Graham is another freshman who is expected to play well after getting named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Jadan Baugh was also on the All-Freshman Team after rushing for 673 yards.

Florida returns four starters on the offensive line, led by All-American center Jake Slaughter, left tackle Austin Barber, left guard Knijeah Harris and right guard Dameion George Jr.

“We got the right mix here, veteran example and rookies that are deciding to be here,” Napier said last month. “So, it’s a big, long, fast group, and seem to be getting along pretty good and working the right way.”