ESPN's Bill Connelly released his 2023 returning production rankings which utilizes his SP+ model, with the Florida Gators returning 54% of their production and landing outside the top 100.
Connelly developed the SP+ ranking system in 2008 and, in his own words, is "a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency" and "intended to be predictive and forward-facing."
The returning production rankings use a slightly different formula than Connelly's traditional SP+ rankings. They take into account a team's previous season's statistics for players that will be returning in the upcoming season.
Coming in at No. 107 in the country, the Florida Gators are expected to have a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball. The offensive returning production comes in at No. 103 with 55% returning production, while the defensive returning production comes in at No. 91 with 53% returning production.
Both the offensive and defensive numbers make perfect sense. The Gators saw massive roster turnover on both sides of the ball, as Billy Napier is continuing the process of crafting the roster in his image. According to On3, of the 30 players in Florida's 2023 recruiting class, only 20 came from high school.
Of those 20, 16 are blue-chip recruits, meaning they are considered a four- or five-star prospects. The other 10 players are transfers, as Napier has been active in using the transfer portal to turn over the roster.
The Gators still have work to do to compete for championships at the highest level, but recrafting the roster is a necessary, albeit long, process. For 2023, they'll have to compete against teams like Florida State, who return 87% of their production from a 10-3 team, good for the most returning production in the nation.
More Football!
Sunshine State talent among ESPN's list of top 5 recruiting states
LB Ventrell Miller played through season injured, misses Senior Bowl after surgery
Florida's best impact transfer following the 2022 season, per College Sports Wire
Do you know who Florida's highest-rated recruit of the last decade is?
2024 blue-chip OT sets return visit date with Florida
Story originally appeared on Gators Wire
