It all makes sense now why Scott Stricklin adamantly stood by Billy Napier when hardly anyone else would. It had very little do with the faith he has in Napier, even if thatās what he had to say.Ā
Stricklin knew the program wouldnāt recover from a terrible recruiting class this year and the current savior of its football program. Yeah, DJ Lagway is the sole reason Napier is allowed in The Swamp and heās the sole reason Florida football might be fun again.Ā
Lagway led the charge on Saturday as the Gators reminded LSU that while this season Florida hasnāt looked great on its home turf, the Gators are truly the only ones that survive The Swamp. And while heās cooking on the field, heās recruiting off the field too.Ā
Heās quite literally doing Napierās job for him. A true savior for Gainesville.Ā
DJ Lagway is saving Florida football, which could return to SEC dominance sooner rather than later
Floridaās win over LSU was big for a few reasons. For one, the Gators are within arms reach of being bowl eligible. They were also able to eliminate one SEC team from the loaded list of College Football Playoff nominees. And it was a boost of confidence as they look to spoil Ole Missās CFP hopes this upcoming weekend, too.Ā
After coming back from an injury, Lagway threw for 226 yards and a touchdown in the 27-16 win with zero turnovers. But the win was less about his stats and more about the confidence he gives a fractured locker room.Ā
It makes you wonder, if he and Napier are a package deal, why it took Napier this long to commit to the former 5-star prospect from Texas. Especially since heās the only reason the boosters didnāt scrum together his buyout money.Ā
And while Lagwayās dominating on the field, heās also the reason some recruits are still considering the Gators after the turmoil this season.Ā
According to Gentry Hawk, who writes for Gator Country, 5-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench said during a campus visit, the only reason heās still considering Florida is because of Lagway.Ā
Lagway added in an article on onlygators.com that Stricklin supporting Napier is part of whatās helped instill belief in the locker room. The youthful squad wants to be the group that gets Florida back to the top of the SEC.Ā
But it will ultimately be up to Napier how this team will function going forward. Next season, heāll get Graham Mertz back and heāll have another decision to make about the quarterback. Heād be foolish to start Mertz again for non-health reasons.Ā
Lagway not only saved his job, but he saved this season and potentially the future of this team with his leadership. DJ Lagway is the nucleus of this Gatorsā football program.Ā
This program is nothing without Lagway and the belief heās instilled in the locker room should be enough to give Gator nation confidence that while their coach might not be the answer, their quarterback certainly is.Ā