SEC Football: Preseason power rankings for 2023 season

12. Florida Gators

Also coming off back-to-back losing seasons, Florida enters year two of the Billy Napier era sitting at No. 12 in our SEC football preseason power rankings.

The Gators are coming off what was arguably a disappointing year one under Napier, a year where Florida would finish 6-7 overall, as well as 3-5 in SEC play. Falling in the Las Vegas Bowl, this was the second consecutive season in which the Gators went 6-7 overall, with now the first time since 1980 where Florida enters a year coming off back-to-back losing campaigns.

Now looking to post their first winning season since 2020, Florida will return one of the SEC’s top running back duos in Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne on offense, along with others on that side of the ball such as Ricky Pearsall and Kingsley Eguakun. The Gators also return a few notable names on defense, a group that features the likes of Princely Umanmielen, Shemar James, Jason Marshall Jr., and Kamari Wilson.

Also suiting up for the Gators this fall will be one of the SEC’s top 2023 recruiting classes, which includes multiple potential impact players such as Kelby Collins, Ja’Keem Jackson, Eugene Wilson III, and more. Joining this group is also a solid transfer class, which features the likes of Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz, Kentucky offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin, and Michigan safety RJ Moten, among others.

The Gators will travel during Week 1 to open the 2023 season in one of college football’s premier matchups of the week, as Florida faces a Top 25 team in defending Pac-12 champion Utah.