Florida, Billy Napier won't know who will start at QB vs. Texas until just before kickoff
It’s been a whirlwind of a week for the Florida Gators. Within the last week, true freshman DJ Lagway went down with a hamstring injury, they were forced to play their third quarterback this season.
Then the athletic department announced Billy Napier was coming back in 2025. Lagway then doubled down on his support.
And now Napier provided an encouraging update on Lagway and his availability for the Gators in their third, top 10 matchup of the season against Texas.
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is expected to be a game-time decision against Texas, multiple sources tell @On3sports. He injured his hamstring against Georgia.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) November 8, 2024
Playing against the Longhorns is important to the true freshman from Willis, Texas.
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Napier said the injury was “less significant” than they realized and it’s possible that Lagway suits up against Texas. That’s a good sign as he was carted off against Georgia last week and didn’t return. It’s also noteworthy that he’s a Willis, TX native, so he’d certainly want to play back in his home state and against the Longhorns.
DJ Lagway gives Florida best chance to win, but may not be worth his long term health
Billy Napier is no longer fighting for his job after the school announced they were bringing him back for the 2025 season. So forcing Lagway on the field now may not be worth it with the Gators not having much to play for this season.
They’re 4-4 and are already looking to prepare for next season. They’ll be without sophomore wide receiver for the rest of the season as well, who had hip surgery.
I’m all for letting Lagway play this season out. He could be auditioning for the full time starting role next year. With Graham Mertz coming back from an ACL injury next season as well, if he closes out the season looking well, it may be Lagway’s job to lose next year.
Because of that, it might not be worth forcing him now to make sure he’s 100 percent and doesn’t affect his future.
This year, Lagway has thrown for 1,071 yards and six touchdowns. Since he was named the starter after Mertz got hurt, he’s ignited the Gators offense. They played both Tennessee and Georgia close.
If he’s able to play against Texas and doesn’t have any real limitations, he could be the difference in them winning. And if Lagway leads the Gators to an upset win over a top five team, it might help them restore faith in the fan base.
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