Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway is not getting a great deal in Gainesville. The hopes of a success-starved program are pinned on his shoulders, but he doesn’t have the pass protection to carry UF to anything beyond the seven-win regular season he was able to guide the Gators to last year.
CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah urged Lagway to consider if there’s any point to sticking around a fallen program in Florida that’s not guaranteed to turn things around anytime soon. Jerayarah deemed Lagway a Week 4 “loser” in college football after a 26-7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night.
Of note, Jeyarajah declared the loss to the U the “final straw of Billy Napier’s coaching tenure.” Napier personally recruited Lagway to the Gators in 2022 and bragged about being able to mold Lagway from scratch.
“The former No. 1 quarterback DJ Lagway has been plagued by injuries for the past year. But whether it was injury, terrible playcalling or lack of help, his performance against No. 4 Miami in a 26-7 loss was a disaster. A week after throwing five interceptions against No. 3 LSU, Lagway completed 12-of-23 passes for 61 yards,” Jeyarajah wrote.
“The offensive performance by Florida was the worst of the 21st Century, and could be a final straw for Billy Napier's coaching tenure. However, Lagway's season has been a wild disappointment. He was essentially asked to save the program after consistent failures by Florida's offense over the past several years. Lagway will have to seriously consider whether he's doing a disservice to his future by sticking with the Gators.”
Napier and Lagway are a package deal. The head coach returning for the 2025 season was essentially guaranteed only by Lagway’s development. The Willis High School product has five touchdowns and six interceptions through UF’s first four games.
With the University of Florida likely moving on from Napier and giving him 85% of the remainder of his contract via a negotiated buyout at some point before the end of the year, it’s likely the new head coach will want to install his new guy. A talent like Lagway could have the new coach considering him in his room, like Kalen DeBoer did with Jalen Milroe in 2024 with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
A talent like Lagway can also find a monster offer from a school better equipped to make him a star. And he’ll likely find that with no problem.