It’s wild how quickly things can change. One minute, the Florida Gators are riding the struggle bus with a 2-3 record, looking like they couldn’t buy a win if they tried. The next? Enter DJ Lagway—the kid with ice in his veins who flipped the script when the Gators needed it most. Talk about turning the whole vibe around. If you were sleeping on Florida last year, you might want to wake up because Lagway’s got folks buzzing about Gainesville like it’s the second coming of Tebow. And here’s the kicker: the hype train’s only picking up speed.

Billy Napier’s seat was getting toasty, to say the least. Before DJ Lagway took the reins, the Gators were sputtering along with Graham Mertz at quarterback, getting bodied by Miami and Tennessee. It was ugly. But the moment Lagway stepped in, it was like someone flipped a switch. Florida went 6-1 down the stretch, capping it off with a bowl win and something resembling actual hope for the future. Blake Ruffino laid it down straight on The Ruffino and Joe Show: “There are a couple things the way that Florida ended at the end of the year when he started—exceptional, absolutely. He was a big reason why they turned around.” And his co-host Joe DeLeone backed him up: “He was the reason why they turned around.” FACTS.

Blake Ruffino doubled down,” Didn’t (DJ Lagway) have the stats to prove it? But he was the reason, is what I was trying to say. There’s not—there’s not a statistical game that you can look at and say he’s the reason they won the game.”

Now, let’s be real. Lagway’s numbers weren’t setting the world on fire. A 12:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio? Yeah, that’s not exactly superstar stuff. But stats don’t always tell the whole story. The energy he brought to the squad was different. The team played better because they believed in him. It wasn’t just his arm or his legs; it was his presence. Blake Ruffino even admitted, “(DJ Lagway) didn’t have the stats to prove it, but he was the reason… The team got better when he went in there.”

You could point to Lagway’s 1,915 passing yards or the fact that he averaged a solid 10 yards per attempt. But the real flex was that LSU game on November 16th. Coming off a strained hamstring, the dude walked into Death Valley and led Florida to a 27-16 upset over No. 21 LSU. That’s the kind of stuff legends are made of. The Gators hadn’t beaten LSU since 2018, but Lagway didn’t flinch. It was like he was made for those big moments.

Billy Napier owes his job to Lagway’s late-season heroics. DJ Lagway’s clutch performance on the field literally saved Napier from spending Christmas hunting for coordinator gigs. Ruffino kept it real when he said, “You brought up the LSU game; I’ll bring up Ole Miss. As bad as LSU did at the end there, Ole Miss is the bigger one. The athleticism that he shows in the pocket—the athleticism that he showed in that game in the pocket—was absolutely exceptional.” However, can that spark become a wildfire in the 2025 season?

Are Billy Napier’s Gators a dark horse for the 2025 season?

Fast forward to 2025, and it’s a whole new ballgame. Billy Napier’s rolling into year four like a man on a mission. The fanbase is restless, and an 8-5 record ain’t gonna cut it. Playoffs are the bare minimum if Napier wants to keep his seat from catching fire. And with DJ Lagway running the show, the expectations are higher than ever. You’ve got guys like Paul Finebaum practically daring Napier to prove he’s not just some mid-tier SEC coach.

Blake Ruffino hit the nail on the head: “Florida’s underrated, man. I’m not saying they’re winning the SEC, I’m not going there, Joe. But they got a lot of production coming back.” And he’s ain’t wrong. With a solid core of returning starters like running back Jadan Baugh, receivers J.Michael Sturdivant and Dallas Wilson, and stable offensive line anchors like Devon Manuel, the pieces are there.

And let’s not sleep on the defense. Experienced guys like Devin Moore, Sharif Denson, Bruce Thornton, Jordan Castell, and Kofi Asare are all ready to make some noise. The Gators’ 2025 schedule? It’s a gauntlet. Road trips to LSU, Miami, and Texas A&M are about as rough as it gets. And oh yeah, they’ve got to deal with Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee at home, too. Nothing is coming easy.

But here’s the twist: All this pressure, all these expectations—it’s setting up Lagway for a monster season. Analysts are predicting he could triple his passing touchdowns and break the 4,500-yard mark. That’s the kind of leap that could turn the Gators from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘hell yeah’ in the playoff conversation. So, is Florida the dark horse for the 2025 season? It all comes down to whether Lagway can level up. And if he does? The SEC better watch out.