Will Billy Napier keep his job? That and other bold predictions for Florida football entering 2024

August is a time for optimism in college football, and Florida football fans can afford to dream big this time of year.

The Florida Gators return 14 starters on offense and defense from a team that finished 5-7 last season. How well Florida learns from those growing pains under Billy Napier will determine the course of the next three months.

Florida faces 11 of 12 power conference opponents, including eight teams ranked in the US LBM Top 25, in what ESPN's Football Power Index considers the most difficult schedule in the country.

Still, Florida is capable of making progress in 2024 with a roster that Napier considers his best since first arriving on campus in 2022.

"Teams continue to get better throughout the season if you do it right, individual players get better," Napier said. "This team has competitive depth, right? You're going to see each week there may be slight changes."

Here are five bold predictions for Florida entering the 2024 season:

Florida football QB Graham Mertz will throw for more than 30 TDs

Mertz will flourish in his second season as starting quarterback at Florida, making a year two jump as a transfer similar to LSU's Jayden Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr.

Florida will need to rely on Mertz to win a few shootouts during the 2024 season. UF's offensive line will do a better job protecting Mertz, which will result in more big plays downfield after the Gators completed just 14 pass plays of 30 yards or more in 2023.

Florida football WR Eugene Wilson III will surpass 1,000 yards receiving

A Florida receiver hasn't amassed 1,000 yards since Taylor Jacobs finished with 1,088 yards receiving in 2002. Ricky Pearsall came close for UF last year with 965 yards.

This year, Wilson will break the seal as one of the focal points of UF's offense and the number one target of Mertz. The chemistry between Mertz and Wilson, which resulted in Wilson catching 61 passes for 538 yards and 6 TDs as a true freshman last season, will carry over into year two.

Florida football defense will force 15 takeaways this season

An offseason emphasis on takeaways will pay dividends for Florida in 2024. After forcing SEC lows in turnovers (7) and interceptions (3) last season, Florida will become more of a ball hawking defense in 2024. Sophomore safety Jordan Castell and senior cornerback Jason Marshall will each record three interceptions for UF under the tutelage of new secondary coach Will Harris.

Florida football will beat LSU at The Swamp

The Gators will come into the game underdogs against LSU and on a two-game skid after back-to-back losses to Georgia and Texas. But Florida will find resolve in its return to The Swamp to play spoiler to LSU's College Football Playoff hopes and snap a five-game losing streak in the series. Mertz will throw 4 touchdown passes to lead UF to a 35-31 win as the Gators will pick off LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier three times.

Florida football coach Billy Napier will get a fourth year as Gators will finish 8-5

Florida will finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 2020, helping Napier restore some confidence within the fanbase. UF will ring in the New Year on Jan. 2 with a Gator Bowl win over Virginia Tech with DJ Lagway starting at quarterback, which will serve as a prelude to Lagway taking over the offense in Napier's fourth season.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Will Billy Napier keep his job? That and other bold predictions for Florida football entering 2024