“The first game at Florida since Treon Harris in 2014 made his debut. In the fourth quarter, last week led a nine-play touchdown drive. We’ll see what he does here as he takes the first snap from the scrimmage.” This was the ESPN announcer declaring DJ Lagway’s first step into the field as a starter. Notice the uncertainty the words carry, as the true freshman QB bypassed the senior Graham Mertz and sealed that QB1 spot. There were a lot of questions about Lagway’s potential and capability. But he addressed each one of them.

Lagway led the Gators to their first win of the season and helped demolish the Samford Bulldogs by an incredible 45-7 scoreline. The true freshman QB turned ‘god mode’ in that game as he produced 456 passing yards for 3 touchdowns at an impressive average of 18.2 yards per attempt and announced to the world that he would be the ‘next big thing’. The rest of the performances by DJ Lagway are no secret, as he won 6 games out of the seven he started. However, despite this, Lagway still has a harsh verdict to face.

Zach Goodall of 247 Sports provided a grim update on DJ Lagway’s injury crisis. “He (DJ Lagway) entered spring training camp with a shoulder injury, as well as an undisclosed lower-body injury that is not yet confirmed to be related to the hamstring injury that he suffered against Georgia last November. He’s yet to throw a pass in front of the reporters when we’ve been invited to watch practice, and to our understanding, he didn’t attempt to throw during Florida’s closed intra-squad scrimmage.”

Despite the talent the ace QB has, the injury concerns surrounding him are real. The concerns started after he was carted off the field in the Georgia game after a hamstring injury. The player not only missed the remaining game due to the injury but also had issues while playing in games after that. Still, the quarterback showed incredible resilience as he finished with 2,000+ yards and 12 touchdowns. But what now?

“I do think he’ll be limited in throwing activities, but he’ll participate in all practices otherwise. We’ve done a lot of homework with the things he went through as a player, but he was an absolute warrior and a great competitor who showed toughness… Our intentions here are to be very smart.” This was Florida head coach Billy Napier, giving a cautious statement to the media regarding Lagway’s availability through the spring practices.

The head coach does have a point. DJ Lagway has taken over the QB1 responsibilities and will lead the offense in 2025. In that case, allowing the player to aggravate his injury doesn’t make sense. Moreover, Zach Goodall also pointed out that the team is avoiding taking the player through the ‘surgery’ route. Since the team appears comfortable “with allowing the injuries to heal on their own.” Still, the question remains: Will DJ Lagway be fully fit to play in the upcoming season?

Injury problems: a long-term concern for Billy Napier?

While DJ Lagway’s incredible talent is hard to notice, the injury concerns surrounding him also have the same verdict. They are noticeable if you are looking closely. On3’s Pete Nakos even said he wouldn’t be surprised if Lagway didn’t throw for the entire spring. Even indicating that the type of injuries Lagway suffered would potentially require “surgery.” Andy Staples also gave a concerning take on the issue.

“You have this thing that is designed to do things that nobody else can do. But because of that, it’s a little more fragile than other things.” He continued, “That’ll be the one that you keep an eye on. Because if you get into July, and he’s not throwing, yeah, worry. Like, that’s a reason to worry.”

The Gators have signed some QBs in their 2025 class, 3-star Tramell Jones and 3-star transfer QB Harrison Bailey. The addition of Bailey helps the Gators from an in-depth perspective. But is he the guy who can step up in place of Lagway if his injury concerns come up? Well, the newly transferred QB from the Louisville Cardinals didn’t see any major games as a starter with the team. In the 2024 season, the QB garnered just 227 yards, and before that, just 51 yards as a backup. The senior QB will not be more than a backup at Florida. That’s why DJ Lagway’s injury concerns have become more important for Billy Napier to alleviate.