The case for Napier:
What Napier did at Louisiana cannot go overlooked, as he led that program to heights that had never been seen before. He went 40-12 in four seasons, giving him the best winning percentage in program history by a mile. Despite an up-and-down first season, he’s done better recruiting than most people think, despite the very public Jaden Rashada mess. They’re already tied with Georgia with the most committed five stars for the 2024 class (four) out of anyone.
The case against Napier:
Napier is facing an uphill battle of sorts in Gainesville, where some people around the program are already getting restless. He’s not the best with the media either, which has not done him any favors to boot. And he may not get to reap the benefits of some of those five stars if this season’s team goes downhill with Graham Mertz behind center.
The case for Cristobal:
Always known as one of the best in the business on the trail, Cristobal has been one of, if not the best, recruiter in the country since he stepped on the scene. Even without good results on the field in his first season back at his alma mater, he still managed to land a top-10 class nationally, even after the last-minute flip of Cormani McClain. If they keep stacking talent the way they are, they’ll soon be back in the mix right at the top of the ACC.
The case against Cristobal:
Despite his success on the trail, Cristobal’s in-game coaching acumen has come into question multiple times. Yes, he won a Rose Bowl at Oregon, but couldn’t unlock one-tenth of the potential that Justin Herbert has shown since he stepped into the NFL, and his teams underperformed in relation to the amount of talent on hand in comparison to the rest of the Pac-12.
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The verdict:
Cristobal is a legendary recruiter, but I’ll take Napier’s abilities as a coach on the field both from a schematic standpoint as well as a decision-making standpoint in-game. Cristobal should be able to amass a ton of talent and re-establish the ‘State of Miami’, but none of that really matters if he can’t actually coach them up on the field. Napier’s problems in his first season at UF were in large part due to the mess that he inherited from Dan Mullen.
