Joel Klatt Reveals Florida's Chances to Make First College Football Playoff

Florida has not made the College Football Playoff since its start in 2014 or the 12-team format era.

Joel Klatt Reveals Florida's Chances to Make First College Football Playoff originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Florida Gators are one of the SEC teams that have never made the College Football Playoff. 

The Gators came close in 2019 under former head coach Dan Mullen, entering bowl season at No. 9 in the polls. 

However, on a recent edition of "The Joel Klatt Show," Joel Klatt believed Florida had a shot in 2025. He ranked the Gators ninth in his list of top 10 teams to make the CFP for the first time. 

The program is returning plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, including quarterback DJ Lagway, center Jake Slaughter, safety Jordan Castell and edge rusher Tyreak Sapp. 

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and quarterback DJ Lagway (2).Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

"There's a lot to like about this Florida team," Klatt said. "They could be a top 15 team to start the year. ...So, at 9-3, Florida would be in, but that's still a Herculean task for them to possibly get to 9-3. Love their team, love their roster. I like what Billy Napier has done. To me, that's just a really schedule difficulty of why they're only at nine." 

Florida head coach Billy Napier had a solid November in 2024, securing his first winning season with the Gators. The program knocked off the No. 22 LSU Tigers, No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels, and beat in-state rival, the Florida State Seminoles, for the first time since 2021. 

The Florida-Florida State rivalry has been played every year since 1958 and was ranked No. 9 among the top rivalries in college football. 

Florida seems to be on the right track in recruiting, holding the No. 13 overall class for 2026 on On3 Sports

The Gators were predicted to land another 2026 prospect in the form of four-star edge rusher Kevin Ford

Napier begins his fourth season in Gainesville against Long Island on August 30. 

Related: Florida NIL Booster Calls Out Rival SEC School for Overpaying 5-Star Recruit

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

Category: General Sports