Gainesville, Fla. — Florida sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway was seen wearing walking boots following Saturday’s 26-7 defeat to Miami.
Despite the injuries, the Gators hope that Lagway, who will face Texas on October 4th, is ready for the SEC home opener. True Freshman Tramell Jones Jr. was chosen as backup for this week’s match against Long Island University.
Lagway’s Health is an ongoing storyline. He missed the spring due to shoulder issues, what coach Billy Napier described as a “hernia type problem.” In July he suffered a calf injury, causing temporary concerns about his availability to begin the season, but Napier claimed it was a small amount.
Gators quarterback DJ Lagway gave a reason for Florida’s leadership after the game.
“We have to play better football and it starts with me.”
Napier added that the team “collected around him” towards the matchup, saying DB Devin Moore has “150%” trust on Lagway. pic.twitter.com/vposmngtk3
– Luke Adragna (@lukeadrag) September 21, 2025
The lack of practice time encouraged questions about his performance. On “The Pat McAfee Show,” former Alabama coach and ESPN analyst Nick Saban said Lagway’s struggle stems from a limited number of reps.
“I think the quarterback struggled and I think he struggled because he couldn’t practice,” Saban said. “Some people can play without practice, and some people need a person to get it right.”
Against Miami, Rugway was the roughest performance of the season, completing 12 of 23 passes for 61 yards. Throughout four games, he has 690 passing yards, five touchdowns, six interceptions and a 47.4 QBR.
Still, Lagway vowed to take responsibility and set a tone that would move forward.
“I’m the head of it and I’ll start with that,” Ragway said. “I’m going to demand greatness from everyone. We’ve finished around play. It’s time to get serious, and it starts with me.”
