‘He’s in a different place’ — Florida Gators HC Billy Napier lauds QB DJ Lagway ahead of pivotal season opener
Things have grown a lot for the Gators’ starting quarterback
It’s an incredibly pivotal season for the Florida Gators in 2025. Head coach Billy Napier is firmly on the hot seat going into the season, and there was a lot of discussion last year about potentially getting rid of him mid-season.
After the Tennessee game, the Gators seemingly flipped a switch and they finished the season strong, including winning their final four games with upset victories over LSU and Ole Miss, while also taking Georgia to the wire. The biggest factor in that turnaround was quarterback DJ Lagway, as he went 6-1 as a starter during his true freshman season.
DJ Lagway’s leadership stands out to Gators HC Billy Napier
Things can be difficult and up-and-down for a true freshman. Now that Lagway is entering his second season with the Gators, things are likely to take a big step forward. Napier noted during his press conference on Monday that he’s seen growth from a leadership standpoint.
“I think you see he’s in a different place from a leadership standpoint because of what he experienced last year. I just think it has been his team since January. So I think his ability to influence others to say encouraging things to be a good example. And then obviously he knows what the games are like. He knows what in-season prep is like. So I think those things eliminate some of that anxiety or the unknown, right?
“I think last year, at this point in time, he had no clue what he was walking into. Now he’s working his tail off. But you know, until you’ve run out there, you don’t quite understand.”
There is a lot of truth to what Napier says here. You can think you know what’s going to happen, but until you’ve done it, there isn’t enough preparation you can do until you’ve gone through it. Lagway took over as the starting quarterback in October and the tone of the team immediately changed.
With Lagway leading the team into the 2025 season, it projects to be huge, as there is a real chance that the Gators can make the College Football Playoff for the first time, and contend for a National Championship with their last one being in 2008.
If Lagway has really taken that step as a leader, the sky is the limit for this Gators team.
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