Out of all the teams, it’s probably the Gators who have been the most disappointing. Starting the season opener with a loss to Florida State, Billy Napier faced another block when his team faced off against Miami. First 24-15 and then 41-17. That is a bad way to start your season. Both games were spearheaded by Billy Napier’s starting QB Graham Mertz and when we say Mertz still has a long way to go, we mean it. Zero good plays against Florida State and then 1 interception and 90+ yards during the Miami game. This is bad. While it is understandable that Mertz is still new and has big shoes to fill, there is one guy who is doing justice to Gators and its reputation.

On September 10th, Napier just couldn’t stop himself from comparing QB DJ Lagway to QB Jalen Hurts during the Gators press conference. “The accuracy is what impressed me… I mean I think this guy’s unique,” Napier mentioned while talking about Lagway. When the Gators went up against Samford, Napier had to bench Mertz because of an injury. So, naturally, Lagway got his time to shine, and he showed why he is the new Jalen Hurts of CFB. He scored 3 touchdowns and managed to cross 450 yards during the game! The Gators got a massive 45-7 win, and it felt like the team was finally back on track. “Jalen Hurts was a runner, you know..” Napier mentioned while talking about how Lagway could go on to develop like Hurts in the future. Hurts was a solid dual-threat QB back when he was playing for Alabama. He was crowned the SEC Offensive Player of the Year as well.

Lagway is equally special. The dude has already racked up more than 50 touchdowns and over 4000 yards. If that wasn’t enough, he has a completion rate of around 72%. After the success against Samford, we might see Napier switch up Mertz and use Lagway more on the turf. Hightop Sports had noted back on September 7th that Napier would have a lot of breathing room in the rough Gators schedule if he manages to build proper chemistry between Lagway and the other boys on the roster. However, while in the 2024 season, Napier will still have access to DJ’s skill set, the same cannot be said for the 2025 season.

DJ Lagway hits the portal

Blaise Ingoglia noted back on September 1st that DJ Lagway has decided to hit the transfer portal. Napier cannot recover from this. While he does have Mertz, he is still way too new. Mertz has only managed to reach 2900 yards and 20 TDs while playing for the Gators back in 2023. The performance we saw against Florida State and Miami was laughable.

Lagway could be considered the best hiring the Gators have ever done. This guy is a prodigy and going into the 2025 season. If Napier loses him then it’s going to be rough for the team. Both Napier and the Gators Chariman are yet to give any comments regarding the transfer scene. However, for now, the Gators fans can at least enjoy watching Lagway carry the team.