Tensions Rise for Injured DJ Lagway as Billy Napier Faces Test of Time Over Florida’s Biggest Loophole

“Is he 100%? We’ll see, but we’re going to do what we’ve done in the past. We’re not going to put him out there until he’s ready.” Billy Napier’s hopes for the 2024 season were riding on his quarterback, DJ Lagway. They were going fine until one Saturday against Georgia when the Gators’ hero, DJ Lagway, got injured in the second quarter of their Week 10 game. At the time, Florida was 4-4, and any hopes of having a good end to the season were riding on Lagway’s shoulders. How did they fare after that injury? Well, they not only lost that Georgia game but also got a 17-49 humbling by Texas. However, the fortunes reversed when the Gainesville hero returned from injury.

The QB then led four games against ranked opponents like LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State and won all of them.

The QB led the offense in the final games—with three against LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State—and came out victorious in all of them. In fact, he was the final nail in the coffin for the playoff hopes of both LSU and Ole Miss. The cherry on top? Lagway produced 305 passing yards in the Gators’ bowl game, leading to a remarkable win of 33-8 against Tulane. In total, Lagway started 7 games last year and won 6 of them. So, it won’t be a stretch to say that Napier’s future rests on Lagway’s shoulders in 2025. But what if Lagway doesn’t remain fit enough to take the field?

On the May 14 episode of the show Crain & Company, Blain Crain, David Cone, and Jake Crain discussed a similar situation that could unfold with Lagway in 2025, with some defensive concerns, too. “If DJ Lagway is healthy, that’s when you start to take off, and a guy who can trust him up front. But the question for me for Florida on defense, do you have the depth? Do you have the rotation week in and week out to come and bring it every Saturday? We’ll see,” said Blaine. Of course, the depth on defense is a major issue for the Gators. However, we can’t overstate the need for Lagway to be healthy.

Lagway’s hamstring concerns that he got against Georgia might have healed, but his shoulder? The shoulder issues have become chronic for Billy Napier’s QB1. We didn’t see Lagway throwing in recent spring practices. The focus of the program was on giving Lagway enough time to heal his injury. At the time, Matt Hayes reported that Lagway might need to get surgery for his shoulder if the issue persists. That would mean him missing the entirety of the season.

“The hope is offseason rest—as many as six months of non-throwing will strengthen the shoulder, or at least allow Lagway to play the 2025 season. He could then have surgery after the season and be ready for the start of the 2026 season,” said Matt Hayes. While Napier might have postponed the surgery for the 2026 offseason. But what if a wrong tackle or sack sidelines DJ Lagway for the season midway? How will the team cope then? Considering they do not have any reliable backup, who can throw those balls like Lagway, right?

Sure, the Gators have Harrison Bailey as the QB2, who came from the Louisville Cardinals on transfer. But the guy had produced just 227 yards last season and will still need experience to perform. The other QBs in the pipeline are Clay Millen and Trammel Jones Jr. Neither of these QBs is experienced, as Millen threw for just 110 yards last season and Jones? He’s just a freshman right now. That takes us to the defensive problems in depth.

Defensive problems in the 2025 roster bring back last year’s horrors?

The Gators finished with an 8-5 record last season, courtesy of DJ Lagway’s heroics. But their defense? It was awful, to put it plainly. The D-line was porous as Florida stood 71st in the country, allowing 157 rushing yards per game. Overall, Florida’s defense stood 75th in the nation, allowing 391.4 yards per game. That being said, there were some improvements in the last 4 games of the season, but this year?

Jake Crain expressed some doubts about the Gators’ defense going into 2025. “Yeah. And we’re not saying that Florida’s got to have the best defense of all time, or are we going to see Major Wright back there knocking people out in big games? Even though I would love to go back and watch that defense, can they just be good enough if the offense is cooking to have some semblance of balance, right? Because balance is what keeps you on the beam.”

Florida is returning with 17 starters, including players like Tyreak Sapp, Kamran James, Jamari Lyons, and Caleb Banks. Moreover, the hiring of Deron Wilson as the DB coach and Robert Bala as co-DC helps the Gators improve. Still, the depth concerns are real. Even CBS’s Brandon Marcello said, “Florida is not deep on defense.” The first safety position lacks depth, which has Bryce Thornton and Drake Stubbs. Stubbs is a freshman, and Bryce Thornton is the only one who had some experience last year with 41 tackles. Furthermore, the defensive end also has just Sapp and Kamran James returning and has no notable players other than that.

All in all, the concerns for defensive depth for the Gators are real, and Billy Napier has to rectify it quickly. Moreover, add it to DJ Lagway’s injury concerns, and you just got a head coach in deep mud.

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