Florida HC Billy Napier Talks Limiting Jayden Daniels' Athleticism
It’s no secret LSU’s offense has been inconsistent through their first few games of the season, but in order to take down Florida this weekend, they’ll need stability from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Tigers’ QB1 showed growth in the loss to Tennessee on Saturday. Despite the final result not going their way, we saw Daniels thread the needle a bit more and go through his progressions.
One thing is certain about LSU’s signal-caller: He’s going to utilize his athleticism to the best of his abilities. That being, if he has to roll out the pocket to make a throw on the run or even use his wheels to extend drives, it puts defenses in challenging scenarios.
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At times, Daniels' athleticism has been his biggest nightmare, but Florida Head Coach Billy Napier understands his Gators squad must be prepared for the difficulties it presents.
"That's a great question, and it's one of the very specific things about this game when you talk about the dilemma that you have relative to the amount of skill players that they have,” Napier said. “At receiver, they've got some dynamic players both inside and outside.
“So you pair that with the ability for the quarterback to break the pocket and scramble, you think about statistically when you look at their team, this quarterback has made a significant impact on the game with his feet. So there's certainly gonna be a big part of our planning and the dilemma that you have on defense. I think it's a great question and one that we'll be working hard on this week."
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It’ll be a mixed bag that Florida will throw at this LSU offense. Keeping Daniels contained will be of the utmost importance, but also preparing for him to use his arm will be another.
Napier detailed the thought process one must take when looking to limit LSU’s gunslinger and how they’ll be game planning for Saturday night.
"You're picking your spots. You try to mix it up and ultimately you gotta play good at all three levels,” Napier said. “There's a number of ways to go about this, and I think we'll have our way. We'll certainly have ways to change it up in the game, but I think it's a great question. Anybody that has played this team would tell you that is one of the biggest challenges about playing against them."
Ultimately the Tigers’ offensive success will come down to Daniels' time in the pocket and reading through each of his progressions. With a myriad of weapons to choose from, this offense has the chance to explode against a Florida defense still in search of their identity.
