Gainesville, Fla. – While there is still a bowl game to play for the Florida Gators, much of the talk surrounding this team has been focused on improving the roster through the transfer portal. They have some holes on this roster that need to be filled, and the portal offers teams the opportunity to immediately find answers.
Yet, there has been little to no action on this front by Gators and head coach Billy Napier. Sure, they’ve gotten some visits. However, outside of a commitment from a punter, nothing has come to fruition.
So, is this slow burn approach by Napier and his staffers going to come back and bite them?
Potentially.
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With the news coming out that visits were unlikely to take place for this upcoming week due to their bowl game and the practices that go along with it, it only left this past week open for transfers to take a visit to Gainesville.
Additionally, there was the report that the Gators would be big spenders this offseason and that they clearly wouldn’t be outbid for any player that they feel is necessary to have.
As a result of the spending news, their name is in the running for multiple high ranking transfers, but that alone won’t get them over the finish line. They need to get visits to complete the job.
For example, one big name they are in contention for is former Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson. Anderson currently ranks as the No. 8 overall transfer in the portal according to 247Sports.
It was said that two teams to watch out for were for the wide receiver are Texas A&M and Florida. However, only one of those teams received a visit, and it wasn’t the Gators. He also set up a visit to LSU.
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If Napier expects to continue winning like they have done to end the season, then he and the Gators need to begin making noise in the portal. You can’t constantly rely on nailing your evaluations on diamonds in the rough, even if you have been above average at it in certain positions.
Napier is at the University of Florida. Being at this school allows you to spend NIL money and be aggressive for the most talented players at both the high school level and in the transfer portal.
Yes, he might be waiting for the bowl season to end so that those on teams involved in bowls can enter the portal. But is that a smart decision from Napier?
He can’t sit idle for too long though. When you have young-offensive talents like DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh, you need to give them help to maximize their talents. Lagway needs some more big bodied receivers and could use an offensive lineman or two.
On the other side of the ball, the defense showed that they can be more than capable of stopping high-powered offenses. This side just needs a couple of pieces like an experienced safety or additional cornerback.
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Fill these holes, and this team can be dangerous in 2025. Don’t fill them, well, we’ve all seen how that can go.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Just weeks into his new job, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom – sharing a small apartment with his wife and two children – was told that an officer was just involved in a shooting.
A former commander for Chicago Police Department, Winstrom had dealt with many shootings involving police.
Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed Black motorist Patrick Lyoya after a Feb. 4, 2022, traffic stop. Schurr, a white officer, shot Lyoya in the back of the head.
Winstrom, who was named this week one of three finalists for police chief in Pensacola, Florida, recalled the tragedy in Grand Rapids in an MLive video 13 months after the killing.
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He became chief in Grand Rapids on March 7, 2022.
Protesters march through downtown Grand Rapids after a mistrial was declared in the Christopher Schurr murder trial after the jury could not come to a unanimous decision on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Schurr was charged with second-degree murder after killing Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in 2022. Joel Bissell | MLive.com
He described the shooting as “just like a slap across the face and a wake-up call because I had been involved in so many of these difficult situations in Chicago. So I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I guess we’re doing this here so quick’ and it was I would say a progression of sadness.”
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom talks to media Tuesday, Nov. 11 after officers and an 18-year-old man exchanged gunfire in a Southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood. (John Agar | MLive)John Agar
He met with Lyoya’s family in his office, “crying literally with them.” He knew that Schurr, who was ultimately acquitted by a Kent County jury of second-degree murder, and his family were devastated, too.
Winstrom fired Schurr after charges were filed.
He knew that his officers had strong feelings, with many supporting Schurr, who said he acted in self-defense when Lyoya gained control of his Taser.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom responds to the scene of a fatal stabbing. (Joel Bissell|MLive)Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Winstrom, who often responds to serious crime scenes, said: “I’ll say that this department – I’m sure everybody’s got their opinions – but from what I’ve seen they’ve handled it professionally … have not let it impact job performance at all which was something that I was really afraid of.”
That has happened in other U.S. cities after controversial police shootings. Lyoya’s supporters held many protests, particularly when the officer was on trial.
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Windstrom said that calls to defund police can lead to a ‘mass exodus’ of officers, which data shows results in increasing violence in minority neighborhoods.
He said that “officers in Grand Rapids, whether they agree with my decision to fire Christopher or not, come to work every day. They just do a phenomenal, professional job. I’m really proud of them.”
Winstrom is a finalist for the Pensacola job with Brian Dugan, a former Tampa police chief, and Erik Goss, the acting deputy chief in Pensacola, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
The selection process will occur Jan. 12 to 14.
Winstrom declined an MLive request for comment on Wednesday, Dec. 24, but issued a statement the previous day.
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He asked for patience while he considered what is best for him and his family. He said he will be “engaged here as ever” during the process and “I remain fully committed to ensuring the City of Grand Rapids is a community where people feel safe and are safe at all times.“
City Manager Mark Washington appointed Winstrom nearly four years ago knowing “that he was a highly qualified, top-tier professional in the field of public safety. While he hadn’t served as a Chief of Police, his potential was evident.”
Washington added: “Given the significant progress he has led within the Grand Rapids Police Department – specifically in advancing constitutional policing, enhancing transparency, and centering the department’s commitment to serve all residents – it is certainly not surprising that other communities would seek out his leadership and expertise.”
Federal agents arrested a 20-year-old Sarasota man after finding Nazi propaganda, pipe bombs, guns, ammunition, a pressure cooker, and instructions for making explosives inside his home. Investigators also discovered an index card outlining plans for a racially motivated attack, including placing motion-activated bombs for police. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Florida Coast Equipment has entered into a partnership agreement with the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association making Kubota the exclusive tractor, mower, utility vehicle, and construction equipment sponsor of the Florida Thoroughbred industry, starting in 2026.
The long-term agreement, announced Dec. 23, places Florida Coast Equipment and the Kubota brand front and center to Florida’s Thoroughbred industry, a $3.2 billion industry with more than 90,000 Thoroughbreds and 33,500 jobs.
The Florida Coast Equipment name will now be prominently displayed throughout the FTBOA headquarters, events, and communications, including an advertising package on FTBOA.com, Wire to Wire, and the Florida Horse Farm and Services Directory.
“This partnership goes beyond sponsorship. Florida Coast Equipment is proud to serve as the local dealer of choice for Florida’s Thoroughbred community—working alongside breeders and owners every day with the equipment, service, and support they rely on,” said Florida Coast Equipment online sales manger Timothy Morris Jr. “Both the FTBOA and Florida Coast Equipment are deeply rooted in Florida agriculture and share a commitment to long-term relationships, stewardship, and doing things the right way. That shared mindset is what makes this partnership a natural fit and positions it for lasting impact across the industry.”
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“When it comes to horsepower, nobody knows it better than Florida’s Thoroughbred industry, and the team at Florida Coast Equipment and Kubota,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “This partnership unites two pillars of Florida agriculture, and we couldn’t ask for a better fit.”
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This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
