A freshman boy with raw talent and so much to accomplish and prove. DJ Lagway stepped into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 8th, an unknown, with hype on his back, but doubt? It was a mountain. 90,000 eyes glued to just the wait of a promise being fulfilled, of a boy with 90,000 hopes on his shoulders. It certainly wasn’t easy, but Lagway did it. Samford’s defense had no answers to the teenage sensation as he announced his arrival in Gators’ colors. He notched up 456 yards for three touchdowns and would later help Billy Napier turn around his disastrous season.

Lagway started seven games in total for Florida in the 2024 season and finished with more than 2,000 yards. The true freshman talent, once considered raw and untested just a few months ago, had taken the whole college football world by storm. The story of Billy Napier and the Florida Gators this season has DJ Lagway written all over it, and rightly so. But the QB, while exceptional, isn’t a magician; he still plays in a setup and would require quality players to perform at his best. But what if Billy Napier fails in that regard?

As per recent reports, two crucial Florida players have decided to enter the transfer portal. D’Antre Robinson, the 6’3″ and 307 lb. beast DL, who had notched up 16 tackles and one sack last season, has decided to switch camps. Whereas the other player, Gregory Smith, a 6’3″ and 211 lb. freshman safety, has also decided to use the transfer portal for his benefit. The loss of both players will hurt Florida and the Gators, who already had several defensive issues in 2024.

For starters, Florida finished 75th last season in total yards conceded with 391.4 yards conceded per game. Moreover, in passing defense, the team ranked 65th with 18.5 pass completions per game. They allowed more than 27 points per game against Power 4 teams and allowed a 46% conversion rate on third downs, ranking last in the SEC and 123rd nationally. Now, with the loss of these two players, the situation can become even worse.

Newcomers like Jalen Wiggins, Jeremiah McCloud, and Stephone Shivers are all true freshman prospects and would hardly deliver at the level of D’Antre Robinson. Moreover, there are no transfers in the DL position who can provide that veteran experience. The loss of Gregory Smith may not look like too much of a concern right now, but the player was still the 18th-ranked safety in the 2024 class and was rated an impressive 90.88 on On3. The player had a high ceiling with an incredible frame to back him up, too. So, this can be a loss too when looking at the long-term perspective.

Injury concerns for DJ Lagway resurface?

We all know that the well-touted Gators QB has had issues with injuries. Be it the last season when he was forced to leave against Georgia. Or Lagway’s long-standing shoulder injury issues that date back to high school. The QB missed the whole spring practice and was scarcely involved. This eventually becomes a concern since Lagway’s injury means more trouble for Billy Napier.

According to a recent revelation by Chris Gordy, and SEC Insider, the Gators QB’s injury is much more serious than people had imagined. “Matt Hayes had a report about it saying that they believe the shoulder injury is going to require surgery at some point”. Gordy even pointed out a grim scenario. “If he has to have the surgery now, he will not be ready for the start of the season because of the table time for recovery.“

Well, Surgery in Lagway’s case means missing the whole season. But it looks like the QB has decided to finally sit out and recover without undergoing surgery this year and would go through the procedure after the 2025 season. This is something which can be concerning for the Florida head coach since he is in a hot seat right now, and Lagway’s injury would mean the end for his Gators stint. Unless, of course, he can find another QB to replicate Lagway’s heroics.