Well, it’s tough to take one’s eyes off the Florida Gators when it comes to building their roster. After all, their HC Billy Napier gives in his blood, sweat, and tears to make his program an invincible force on the gridiron. The plan is going quite well. They have hooked the No. 1 unsigned player in the country, the 4-star cornerback J’Vari Flowers. Plus, the Gators are on the priority list of many commits. However, Napier has yet to find peace of mind. All thanks to his quarterback, DJ Lagway. The signal caller was blessed by the injury gods. So, where does he stand this spring? The Florida reporter comes with clarity.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear DJ Lagway? Yes, the young chap who left the Gators fans on the edge of their seats at The Swamp on September 7. After alternating snaps with incumbent starter Graham Mertz through the first half of the last season, Lagway’s time finally came when Mertz suffered a season-ending knee injury. Now, no one could cook a debut better than Lagway. The QB went 18-25 with 456 yards, crushing Samford to mere specks of dust. With this, Lagway gifted the crowd with three touchdowns as a sweet surprise. But sadly, the QB fails to carry his superhero charm into the 2025 season.
On April 1, Swamp247 reporter Zach Goodall came with a major update for Napier’s star. The tweet read, “Important to note DJ Lagway did not throw during Florida’s scrimmage today, Billy Napier added after saying he took some snaps. Lagway is expected to ‘do the same things he’s been doing in practice every day’ in the spring game. Those things haven’t included throwing.” Yes, the rising sophomore will be “limited” in spring practice. The reason behind this is Napier’s injuries. The QB is recovering from lingering shoulder and lower body injuries. Now, that’s not what the Gators fans might have thought even in their worst nightmare.
Important to note DJ Lagway did not throw during Florida’s scrimmage today, Billy Napier added after saying he took some snaps.
Lagway is expected to “do the same things he’s been doing in practice every day” in the spring game. Those things haven’t included throwing.
— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) April 2, 2025
After all, Lagway went 6-1 for the Gators down the stretch, leading the team to four straight victories. He did teach two ranked SEC rivals, LSU and Ole Miss, a lesson. However, his feat against Georgia turned things upside down as he was carted off the field after sustaining a hamstring injury. So, Napier claimed that his intention here is “to be very smart.” The HC thus sticks to his plan. During the press conference on March 6, the HC informed, “DJ Lagway will be limited in terms of his participation in spring from a throwing component with the shoulder and then also the lower body.”
Back then, the HC assured, “I do think he’ll be limited in throwing activities, but he’ll participate in all practices otherwise… And we’ve consulted with quite a few experts here from UF Health, from a national perspective… I think, in general, he’ll be able to do quite a bit. But there will be some limitations.” Yes, it’s obvious that they are extra-protective about Lagway. After all, he has been an absolute warrior. That’s how he has already picked up the attention in the pro league conversations.
DJ Lagway finds the NFL spotlight over him
Well, Coach Napier is still swimming in the river and is yet to leap to the sea, but he already is showing talents like the pro swimmers. For instance, Lagway is already buzzing being compared with the Indianapolis Colts star, Anthony Richardson. The Gators QB already got famous for possessing a combination of athleticism and arm talent that most quarterbacks dream about. However, the Lagway hype got 10x after he posted a picture posing with Richardson on March 19. While the NFL QB was viewed as a freak of nature himself, the 19-year-old Lagway towers over him and looks massive in comparison. Not just Richardson.
Lagway got god stars from arguably the top Florida quarterback of all time, Tim Tebow. “I think he’s extremely special,” said the Denver Broncos QB. So, it’s obvious that the ceiling is high for the Gators QB. On the On3 podcast, Ari Wasserman said, “Anytime that there’s a chance to glorify a quarterback, I have put DJ Lagway over LaNorris Sellers… I am very, very high on Florida… DJ Lagway looks like somebody who is going to be the first pick in the NFL draft one day.”
Now that’s some big praise. After all, South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers earned an offseason top-10 ranking from CBS Sports. However, the 2025 season is going to be a bumpy ride. DJ Lagway has already bumped into his first speedbreaker, his “limited” activity due to injury. The next roadblock is going to be their schedule. Some games are going to be cakewalk, such as South Florida. However, they are likely to run out of breath facing the gauntlet. LSU, Georgia, Miami, and Texas A&M are likely to tear them apart. With this, will the last-chance narrative come true for Billy Napier?
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