Okay, so we have all seen how things went left for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. They rounded off the season with an 8-5 overall score. As Napier walks into his fourth season, here comes some positive news. Thanks to his QB DJ Lagway, the young chap has now been the talk of the town. Analysts could not help but talk about the future when Lagway will fly off to the NFL. While the QB might keep the Gators’ boat afloat, they will be entering the rough sea which would make their journey to the CFP, an impossible task.  

In the 2024 season, HC Napier had to bear the most blows. So much so, that his buyout figures started to do rounds. However, for the time being, he has managed to bear the heat for a little longer. Now, the HC must be pinning his hopes on his QB. Lagway has been the crown jewel of Florida’s player recruitment for the 2024 season. After all, the former 5-star QB was the country’s No.1 QB recruit. His athletic skills often draw comparisons with Anthony Richardson and Tim Tebow. After alternating snaps with incumbent starter Graham Mertz through the first half of the last season, Lagway’s time finally came when Mertz suffered a season-ending knee injury. Surprisingly, analyst Ari Wasserman was able to notice him amidst the 2024 season that saw some intense QB action. 

 

On the On3 podcast, the analyst stated, “Anytime that there’s a chance to glorify a quarterback I have put DJ Lagway over LaNorris Sellers…I am very very high on Florida…DJ Lagway looks like somebody who is going to be the first pick in the NFL draft one day.” Now, that’s some over-the-top praise for the Gators QB. Wasserman did throw some limelight on South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers, as he earned an offseason top-10 ranking from CBS Sports. However, Lagway still holds a special place in his heart. Why wouldn’t he?

The Napier’s 6’3” and 239-pounder QB star tossed 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman. Not to forget his heroic feat against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl. The 19-year-old capped things off with an impressive 305-yard performance. This definitely makes him the unquestioned starter in 2025 having a bright future in the pro league, even though it is a long journey. While Lagway’s path ahead looks smooth, Napier’s squad is going to face some bumps. 

Will Billy Napier and the Gators’ playoff dreams come true? 

The 2024 season has been a season of mishaps for the Gators fam. Blowout losses to Miami and Texas A&M, combined with self-inflicted wounds that led to losing to Tennessee, almost everything went wrong. However, Napier and Co. are plotting for a big comeback in the 2025 season. That being said, they have made huge strides last season. This seems to have really touched Wasserman. He stated, “Florida does have a very very good running back. I think their offensive line was improved…they’ve got the best center in college football…Florida’s going to be really good next year… they’re going to be good enough to beat everybody on their schedule.”

Well, Napier’s O-line made huge strides last season, cutting their sacks allowed from 39 in 2023 to just 20 in 2024—third-best in the SEC. Also, four of their five starters are returning. Among them, there is their standout center Jake Slaughter. Yes, the one who was named an AP First-Team All-American. That’s when co-host Andy Staples dropped a reality check. “It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a playoff team.” But what made him say so? The schedule is going to test Lagway and his teammates’ stamina in the long run.

Staples draws out the scenario, “Look you lose to Texas, LSU, and Georgia like which means you beat Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Miami you’re still probably not a playoff team.” Yes, holding a 9-3 record won’t help them in the playoff race. However, DJ Lagway sounded confident that the dark narrative surrounding Napier served as fuel to help motivate the Gators. “That was definitely motivation because I feel like they were disrespecting our coach and disrespecting us, genuinely…But I feel like, at the end, we kind of pulled it all together and figured it out. Hopefully, we can put that momentum to the 2025 season.” Can DJ Lagway, the Gators’ wildcard, lead Napier’s crew on a playoff hunt?