They say one player can’t save a program. Tell that to DJ Lagway. Because last fall? Billy Napier was one bad quarter away from cleaning out his Gainesville office with a shoebox and a Gatorade towel. Florida was circling the drain at 4-5, and Napier’s seat was hot. Then out came the five-star freshman with a rocket arm, legs like pistons, and ice in his veins. DJ Lagway showed up, showed out, and saved Billy Napier’s entire career. But now? Folks are asking the real question: who’s gonna save DJ Lagway?
Let’s get this out the way—when DJ Lagway is on the field, Florida looks like a playoff team. That’s not hype, that’s cold facts. In six starts last year, Lagway went 5-1, lit up ranked teams like LSU and Ole Miss, and walked away with Gasparilla Bowl MVP honors. He dropped nearly 2,000 passing yards in half a season. You do the math.
But the one thing money can’t buy? Health.
On3’s Ari Wasserman didn’t hold back. “The one thing that scares the *** out of me when it comes to DJ Lagway is his injury history,” Ari said on the Andy and Ari podcast. “The man has been beaten up quite a bit, and I don’t know if that’s just bad luck or bad offensive line play.” And here’s the kicker: Florida’s offensive line isn’t even bad. Four of five starters are back, and Bryce Lovett rounds out a line that can hold its own in the SEC trenches. So if it’s not protection, it might just be Lagway’s style—QB plays like every down is a final drive.
Lagway missed all of spring throwing drills this year with a lingering shoulder issue that dated back to late 2024. That’s on top of a core injury that kept him sidelined from full-speed drills. And let’s not forget the hamstring blow he took against Georgia—the same game he was cooking before getting carted off.
Before that injury, Lagway had the Dawgs shook. He opened that game dropping absolute dimes, including a 43-yard missile to Aidan Mizell. Florida led 10–3 with Lagway looking like a QB from a Retro Bowl game. But then he slips making a cut, takes a hit from KJ Bolden, and grabs his hamstring like somebody unplugged him.
Still, Lagway came back. Missed just one game, then iced LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State like nothing happened. That’s not normal freshman behavior. That’s generational grit. “If you didn’t actually watch those games, maybe you just don’t understand,” Andy Staples added. “If you watch him, you’ll understand.”
The numbers back it. Lagway had a 154.9 passer rating—highest among all true freshmen with at least 150 attempts. He threw for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns in limited action. Yeah, he tossed 9 picks, but that’s just part of the learning curve when you’re dropping into the SEC like it’s your backyard. So now the concern isn’t if Lagway can play. It’s whether his body can handle the weight of an entire program.
Napier swears he’s on the right track. “He’s doing great,” Napier said in spring. They tweaked his throwing schedule, said he’d be ready by OTAs. Sounds reassuring, but let’s keep it real—this is the SEC. Nobody’s handing out free passes. And if Lagway goes down again? That shoebox might be back in Napier’s hands.
Gators’ AD keeps it real about $26 million move
Florida AD Scott Stricklin didn’t blink when asked why he stuck by Napier despite the swamp turning into a hot mess last fall.
“It was a challenging football season,” Stricklin said at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin. “And it was incredibly rewarding the way they finished. I give Billy Napier a lot of credit.” Credit? Sure. But let’s be real—Stricklin wasn’t just betting on Napier’s vibes. He was betting against writing a $26 million check to fire him. That’s not faith. That’s finance.
Stricklin called Napier “as solid an individual as you will find.” But what really stood out? He tried to sell folks on the idea that keeping Napier frees up money for the portal once the NCAA opens the door for direct player payments. Translation: we didn’t fire him because we want that money to buy players. Cool idea… until you realize every other school is gonna be doing the exact same thing. Bama, Georgia, Texas—they’re all sitting on stacks, too. That $26 million is not going to stretch far when it’s open season in the portal.
And let’s not forget: Stricklin gave Napier that monster contract with no exit ramp. No performance clauses, no soft landing. Just a straight 26-mil brick wall. So now he’s spinning it as a smart long-term play. But make no mistake—if Napier goes 8-4 this year? That spin cycle shuts off.
Florida’s schedule isn’t no joke either. They open against Miami, then hit the SEC meat grinder with games against Tennessee, Texas, LSU, and FSU. Lagway better be healthy, or things are gonna get spooky real fast. But here’s the upside: if Lagway stays upright and Florida goes 10-2? Napier looks like a genius. Stricklin looks like a prophet. Everybody eats.
Go 9-3 and miss the Playoff? Napier survives, barely. Go 8-4 or worse? Pack it up. And that’s the gamble Stricklin made. He’s betting on a sophomore quarterback with injury concerns to carry a head coach with a .500 record through one of the nastiest schedules in the country. If it works, legend. If it doesn’t, legacy killer.
August 30 vs. Miami. That’s when we find out who was bluffing.
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