How Billy Napier restored Florida’s inside linebacker room

Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James #6 as the Florida Gators run through drills during fall football practice at the Indoor Practice Facility in Gainesville, Florida on August 13th, 2022. (Photo by David Bowie/Gatorcountry)Ask any Florida fan at the time about how Shemar James was still a Gator after the post-2023 season portal windows closed, and you’d probably hear the sound of major relief. After he went down to injury in the pregame before the Georgia game, it appeared that UF had no good linebackers left on the roster.

Fast forward a year, and James is foregoing his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft after being Florida’s second-leading tackler. Gator fans are now…