“Limitless potential.” Two words have been used for Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway time and again. Pushing his team to a 6-1 record and a four-game win streak in a late-season renaissance, it was clear that the 19-year-old was exactly what Billy Napier needed. In just seven games, the budding superstar finished with 1,915 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions after Graham Mertz’s ACL injury sidelined him. However, come 2025, though things look bleak, the roster surely is going to be like a well-packed five-headed surprise that will surely give plenty. But before we tell you about that, what’s exactly is “bleak”?

Well, as things stand, his 2025 supposed starting role saw a setback initially owing to a nagging shoulder injury that dates back to last season. Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that though he participated in a scrimmage, he did not throw. And now, as per the latest round of updates, he’s starting to get back to action, spreading hopes throughout the fandom and on analyst’s faces.

As per On3’s JD PicKell on April 3, despite the QB’s limited action in last week’s scrimmage, whenever he took to the field, the change was palpable. “[He] did not throw the football, got a little bit of burn. Did not have any downfield passes. But what I will say is when he got into the the spring scrimmage…the intel is there was a certain lift to the offense. Which continued to speak to how important he is. He is going to be a guy that will obviously dictate how far Florida goes,” PicKell said. Now, if we are to believe the coach and PicKell—which we really want to—the Gators might be at the precipice of history not just with Lagway, but some other names in the roster, too…

During the video, PicKell went on to talk about the scrimmage more, especially the Gators’ WR room. Some good signs? YES! “Aidan Mizell, a name that you know if you’re a Florida fan. Waiting for him to really kind of break out. Took a short pass 50 yards to the crib. We’ll take that every time. My guy commits with a live alligator, and then he goes and catches a 50-yard pass a few years later in, you know, spring scrimmage. Dude’s a burner, okay. So, if they can get him up and rolling, I think that would be something that Florida fans would love to see.” Mizell, one of the most hyped recruits who joined the team ahead of the 2023 season, needs to turn his immense gift into production. He caught just 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, while playing in 11 games with starts in three of the last six games. With an insane track speed and burst, he just needs to be consistent in his game.

The next standout on JD’s list was none other than the stupendous UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant who joined the Gators in December last year. He notched 123 catches with 1,667 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career and showcased exceptional ability in the big plays. He was initially a Bulldog key target, but Billy Napier managed to snag him from them.

As per PicKell, “If Kirby wants a guy, probably a good player. Billy Napier won the guy. So, that tells you everything you need to know. Had a great scrimmage. He’s going to be, from what I’ve been told, their deep threat. The difference, though, with him is he’s also a big-bodied kind of guy. So, you have a deep threat who can also go win one-on-one for you in the red zone.”

That’s a lot on the table. But what impressed the Georgia head coach most about the WR was his intangibles. Kirby liked how mature he is on the field, and he’s hitting the ground running. With a 15-pound muscle addition, Michael only looks to be faster and stronger.

“In addition to that, a couple of other freshmen, Vernell Brown, Dallas Wilson… they’re continuing to impress, and then Hayden Hansen, likely going to be your starting tight end, had a touchdown in the scrimmage as well,” PicKell stockpiled three more solid weapons to Lagway’s relief.

Notably, Brown committed to Florida in July last year, becoming the program’s highest-ranked member of the 2025 recruiting class at the time. The dynamic 5-foot-11 WR from Orlando, Florida, clinched 143 catches for 2,488 yards and 18 touchdowns in his high school career, with 17.4 yards/catch and 99.5 yards/game. And then there’s Dallas Wilson—the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 19 player overall in the Class of 2025 as per On3—who finished high school with 130 receptions for 2,424 yards and 30 touchdowns, with 18.6 yards per catch. Wilson was signed with the Oregon Ducks first, before flipping to Napier’s arsenal.

As for TE Hayden Hansen, he’s heading into his third season for the team after starting all 13 games last season. The 21-year-old has reportedly recorded 15 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown, including two receptions of over 35 yards. What’s more? The player has not allowed a sack on 75 pass blocking snaps, while totaling 601 offensive snaps. And last but not the least…

Who can forget the sixth piece in the puzzle—cornerback Cormani McClain, who is quickly solving the DB backfield crisis in Napier’s defense.

Cormani McClain looks like a real deal as a potential starter CB

A lot of DBs have been visiting Gainesville over the last couple of weeks. The motive was the same: To evaluate the DB depth chart of the Gators. Nobody seemed to be a lock; they were just testing the water. And guess what? McClain purposefully saved Napier’s goodwill in front of those targets. No matter how many of them end up signing with the Gators, most of them agreed that McClain was something to watch out for on the defense.

McClain has improved a lot in the offseason. He put on some weight over the last year and looked more jacked up to fire up the secondary going forward. When he first stepped into Florida, there had been a lot of flak about him. He was tagged as an underwhelming player, not contributing enough to the business, and so on. However, just a few months down, he turned the script with grace.

“Now, he’s making a case to start here when it comes time for the fall at the corner. A guy who has continued to just take the proper steps. He’s a guy who’s getting more reps now. During the spring, because of some injuries to the quarterback position,” PicKell vouched for the CB. The On3 journalist also referred to his growth as a major counterargument to the popular narrative against Billy Napier’s culture in Florida. Those are some real big-time spring competitive chapters at Gainesville, and we will look for more going forward.