The 2025 season is a milestone in the quickly changing landscape of college football. It’s the fourth season where NIL was a real factor for recruits in addition to college players. It probably feels like it’s been longer than that, but the first freshmen to get recruited with the concrete reality of compensation outside of scholarships are now seniors.

The free-transfer era is even younger than the NIL era, so we are still all trying to work out what the optimal strategy is for building a team in this time. A few folks like Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders chose to bet big on transfers. Some, epitomized in the extreme by Dabo Swinney but also including some others, choose to stay big on high school recruiting with little portal supplementing. Most coaches have been somewhere in between.

Billy Napier went slowly at first, choosing not to try to do any serious roster flipping right after his hire in winter of 2021-22. He then had a couple a large portal years as he turned over a lot of the old Mullen recruits and got largely his own team in place.

By late in the 2024 season, Napier had weathered some serious September turmoil, much of it self-inflicted, to get back on more solid footing. He had a choice of whether to use Scott Strickin’s pre-Texas vote of confidence to try to load up on high school recruits or to hold scholarships back for more serious portal shopping. No one would’ve batted an eye if he’d chosen the latter route, given that the game result after Stricklin’s pronouncement dropped his team below .500 on the season.

And yet, he chose to go the former route and load up on high school players. He signed a bumper crop of 27 recruits with just five winter portal transfers and one spring portal transfer. He did try to get another nose tackle and safety in portal with no luck, so the fairly extreme 4.5-to-1 imbalance of signees to transfers is only mostly due to choice.

Even so, it’s very obvious from his actions that Napier is strongly on the side of wanting to build through traditional recruiting while using the transfer portal as a means to fill holes rather than a primary source of talent.

It’s also clear from the roster that Napier has largely achieved his vision of building through recruiting.

On offense, 19 members of what I project to be the top two lines of the depth chart have played nowhere else but Florida. There are 17 guys who signed with Napier out of high school or JUCO, two more who signed with Mullen, and just three transfers.

The two holdovers are starting offensive linemen Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber, both 2021 high school signees with the prior regime. Two of the transfers are also expected starters, RT Damieon George and WR J. Michael Sturdivant. Likely backup quarterback Harrison Bailey is a transfer, and the only other real option there is Yale transfer Aidan Warner. There is another high school signee besides starter DJ Lagway, but Tramell Jones will need some time to get ready. Not every quarterback can compete for a backup job in the SEC in his first season, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Those guys aside, though, all the rest of the starters and backups are Napier signees. There could be some question about whether Caden Jones might pass up Bryce Lovett at right tackle, since both won spring awards, but it doesn’t matter since they’re both Napier recruits. I also am not 100% sure right now whether Dallas Wilson or Aidan Mizell is going to be the third starting wideout when UF is in 11 personnel, but again, it doesn’t matter for these counting purposes. I do have Roderick Kearney as the backup at both offensive guard spots because I think he’s the next man up at those spots either way, so adjust as you need depending on your analysis of the OG spots.

There are double the transfers on defense, but it’s still a small share. UF has 15 Napier signees in my projected two-deep, plus one holdover and six transfers.

The holdover is Tyreak Sapp, a fellow ’21 signee with the two offensive linemen. Three projected starters are transfers in Caleb Banks, George Gumbs, and Pup Howard. The other three are backups, with Cormani McClain, Michael Carraway, and spring transfer DL Brendan Bett.

I’ve seen a few people slotting McClain in as a starter, but I’m not there yet unless Dijon Johnson misses time related to his recent arrest. I still think Devin Moore is the starter over McClain, but also the next season Moore completes healthy will be his first.

There are some questions about slotting like on offense, but not many. Will Aaron Gates or Sharif Denson play more snaps at Star? I don’t know, but both signed with Napier. Who will play the most alongside Howard at inside linebacker between Jaden Robinson, Myles Graham, and Aaron Chiles? I’d bet Graham for now, but again, for these purposes it doesn’t matter.

So those are the numbers for this year. How do they compare to last year? Well, I have just five transfers in the likely starting lineup for 2025. In Week 1’s official depth chart last year, there were six on offense alone: Graham Mertz, Montrell Johnson, Chimere Dike, Elijhah Badger, George, and Kam Waites (Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, another transfer, started most of the year). Three more regular transfer starters on defense — Banks, Howard, and Cam Jackson — meant that the 2024 starters had the same number of transfers as the entire likely two-deep this year. One extra, even, if Asa Turner hadn’t gotten hurt, or if you’re counting back-half starter Trikweze Bridges. That’s how big a change it is.

If you’re still with me by now, you’re probably wondering where my full two-deep is to look over. I didn’t put it here on purpose. If you’re more than 950 words into a detailed roster analysis piece in May, there’s probably little for me to add that you don’t already know.

And that’s kind of the point of this too. I’ve noted some spots of uncertainty, but there aren’t that many and most involve players you know. The Napier roster flip is complete. The depth chart is covered in familiar names, and there is a largely (though not entirely) experience-based pipeline established all around the roster.

There are some unusual aspects to the two-deep, like the backups at safety likely being true freshmen due to graduations, Greg Smith leaving, and no safeties entering via the portal. There are some question marks, which I discussed above.

However largely, the top 22 on both sides of the ball are familiar faces in familiar places. I have no breaking news, no inside information to blow your mind with in regards to this team.

It’s totally and completely Napier’s team, with even the few remaining holdovers having spent over three times as much time under his and his staff’s tutelage than they did with the prior regime. There has been plenty of time to address any issues remaining from a head coach who was fired in no small part because he didn’t recruit hard enough.

This is it. This is a Napier team through and through with very little gap-filling via the portal anymore. We’re all about to find out how well a fully Napier-built Florida team can compete in the SEC and on the national stage.

David Pollack has a solution that could help address some of the public’s biggest concerns about name, image, and likeness from the very start.

Pollack shared that idea last week during the latest episode of his podcast ‘See Ball Get Ball.’ The famous Georgia alumn thinks the first thing that needs to be fixed about NIL is the inflated amounts being awarded to incoming freshmen, leading him to suggest a cap on how much they can profit in NIL before ever playing a snap in college.

“I have a proposal to start round one. Like, again, I’m seeing all this stuff and you see all these topics, like, how do I really fix NIL? I know the number one thing that needs to be changed,” Pollack said on his podcast. “Like, if you want to start with something and change college football, and make it better and make it better for the athlete, the athlete’s future and everything about it? We need a rookie salary cap. A coming into a university salary cap. It cannot exceed X.”

This came during a conversation about the commitment of five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, who committed to Miami last week. On3’s Pete Nakos reported the Hurricanes offered Cantwell, the No. 1 overall recruit in 2026 according to the On3 Industry Ranking, between $2-$2.5 million to come to Coral Gables.

Pollack’s point is that most recruits coming in as freshmen don’t have much equity in name, image, or likeness to profit from, even if they’re top overall recruits in high school. Also, from the player’s perspective, Pollack suggested a cap for freshmen will allow them can make an informed decision in their recruitments without it being just about the NIL money.

“NIL — name, image, and likeness. What you did on the field should dictate how much money you get paid. It should not be what you did in high school. Like, it should’t be,” Pollack added. “Not everybody comes from the same background, same stuff. I mean, there’s a lot of factors that go into that.

“Have a rookie cap. Now, you can choose the spot that’s best for you and it’s not just based on money,” Pollack continued. “Here’s the thing. When you make a decision based on money and not looking towards the future, how many of those decisions have you made and you regretted? Like, a lot for me. If I’m making them just on money, I’m blinded, it’s harder. I can’t make a decision based on what’s really best for me.”

Getting something like this enacted would be difficult considering the free-wheeling precedent set over the past few years of NIL.

“You want to do something that’s really better for the players? Institute that and it immediately will get better,” said Pollack.

In a college football era defined by transfer portals and NIL deals, one player just made a decision rooted in loyalty, legacy, and love for home.

Dante Kelly, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound safety and former 3-star standout, is coming back—not just to Mississippi, but to the same dirt roads and Friday night lights that shaped him. The Leflore County native is transferring to Mississippi Valley State University, bringing SEC experience and big-time potential back to Itta Bena.

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Kelly’s journey has taken him across conferences, but his story started on the fields just minutes from Rice-Totten Stadium. He led Leflore County High School to back-to-back district titles, earning Mississippi Small School All-State honors in 2022 with 105 tackles and 4 picks. He was ranked among Mississippi’s Top 50 prospects, eventually committing to Vanderbilt over offers from Power 4 programs.

“A very special player who I think one day will be a NFL talent. The sky is the limit for Dante,” said former coach Eric House. “The things that stick out with Dante is his physical attributes. He’s very athletic. What sticks out is definitely his speed especially his speed and agility for that size.”

But after a redshirt year at Vanderbilt and a short stint at Southern Miss, Kelly chose a route few former SEC players take—he came home to an HBCU. And not just any HBCU: Mississippi Valley State, a program with a proud past and a struggling present.

The Delta Devils went 1-11 last season. They haven’t posted a winning record in over a decade. But change is coming. With Terrell Buckley—former NFL star and Pascagoula native—now at the helm, Kelly’s arrival feels like the beginning of a cultural shift.

“We’re going to build a culture of accountability, hard work, and belief – because winning starts with the standards we set and the mindset we bring every single day,” Buckley stated.

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More than just a transfer, Kelly’s return is symbolic. It’s about believing in your roots when the spotlight fades elsewhere. In a region where football is religion and history runs deep, this move isn’t just about playing time—it’s about pride, purpose, and the power of coming home.

Delta Devils fans, take notice—Dante Kelly is back. And he’s not here to blend in. He’s here to change everything.

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Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Jackson Cantell, the No. 1 overall recruit in 2026, committed to Miami over Georgia last week after the Hurricanes reportedly offered quite the deal for him in NIL. David Pollack doesn’t know if that number was worth it, though, even if he is the best in his class.

Pollack was critical of this expense during an episode of ‘See Ball Get Ball’ last week. He knows the value of the offensive line but, at the apparent price point as compared to the rest of the cost of a roster, Pollack isn’t sure if that kind of investment is worth it.

“It ain’t left tackle, homie. Like, it ain’t left tackle. If you want to spend this much money on a quarterback, we can have the conversation. I’m not spending $2 million on an offensive lineman. Like, I’m just not,” Pollack said. “An offensive lineman is obviously going to be in the mix, can be great, can control the game. The likelihood of them getting dinged up and hurt is highly possible. Like, you play a physical position up front like that, you’re going to get – it’s going to happen. Like, it’s just going to happen naturally. Quarterbacks obviously have a chance to stay healthier.

“Obviously, when your line of scrimmage is dominant, it makes life easy for you. I mean, that’s a great thing,” Pollack continued. “So, you know, if Miami has the funds and they can do this? I mean, it’s always at what cost? It’s always, like, where is the next spot that I don’t, that now that I have to fill a void, I have to fill a hole”

Cantwell, a Nixa, Missouri product, is a Five-Star+ prospect at No. 1 in the 2026 cylce per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. With that, he committed to Miami over Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. On3’s Pete Nakos reported Cantwell received an NIL offer in the $2 million range.

Still, Pollack just didn’t know about this fit for Cantwell in Coral Gables. Besides the payment, Pollack also doesn’t know how well Cantwell will develop, considering the program’s recent history with the offensive line under Mario Cristobal.

“Miami, since Cristobal has been there, okay? This is since he’s been there since the 2022 season,” Pollack prefaced. “They have no draft picks in 2022 on the O-line, no draft picks in 2023, a seventh-round pick in 2024, and a fifth-round pick in 2025. So, that’s what you’re telling me that, I’m going to get developed with and I’m going to? It’s not a knock. It’s the numbers. Like, it’s the facts.

“Now, listen. I’m not going to give him all of that because, when you start there, obviously, you’re starting from ground zero, you’re bringing in your own talent. But, because of the transfer portal, you have the opportunity to bring guys in really, really quickly that can play right now that can go and their offensive line has not been,” said Pollack. “Last year, it was pretty solid. Like, it was. They were physical enough to road grade for the run. They protected Cam Ward and Cam Ward made magic. But, you know, those are numbers that are real. Like, those are, Mr. PFF – those are numbers that they have and that they’ve accomplished in his tenure there so far at Miami.”

In the end, all that matters to Miami right now is that Cantwell committed to give the ‘Canes a Top-10 class now for 2026. Still, that price point for that position felt like a lot to Pollack.

“It’s a high investment,” said Pollack. “It’s a high investment in a guy on the offensive line.”