Florida's plan at quarterback becomes clear with concern over DJ Lagway's injury status is revealed
No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2) is set to head to Gainesville this weekend for a Southeastern Conference clash against Billy Napier and the Florida Gators in Week 12. A key storyline for this matchup revolves around the status of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who is in the process of recovering from a hamstring injury he […]
No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2) is set to head to Gainesville this weekend for a Southeastern Conference clash against Billy Napier and the Florida Gators in Week 12.
A key storyline for this matchup revolves around the status of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who is in the process of recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained in Week 10.
After missing last week's matchup against the Texas Longhorns, Lagway is "trending in the right direction," according to Napier.
DJ Lagway Injury Update
The Southeastern Conference has just released its initial Week 12 Injury Report, providing an update on Lagway’s condition. He is continuing his rehab after suffering the injury, which at one point raised concerns that his season might be over.
After receiving positive prognosis, the Gators opted to keep Lagway out of last weekend's game against Texas to ensure his recovery.
He returned to practice on Monday.
“We felt good about what we saw this morning,” Napier said on Monday. “It’s day-to-day, and we do anticipate him practicing today.”
On Wednesday, during the Southeastern Conference Teleconference, Napier gave another update regarding Lagway's situation:
“DJ continues to improve,” Napier said. “I think we’ve seen progress every day and I think that’s allowed him to participate more in practice. Obviously we’re kind of controlling that environment, but in general I think we continue to trend in the right direction.”
Lagway has been designated as "questionable" on the Week 12 Injury Report released on Wednesday evening.
In the meantime, Florida has turned to third-string quarterback Aidan Warner while Lagway is sidelined.
The Gators have faced a wave of injuries in 2024, with starting quarterback Graham Mertz having torn his ACL earlier in the season, now compounded by the struggles of the five-star freshman Lagway.
“I think that he got better each day. A little bit better with each opportunity,” Napier said last week. “I do think that he probably felt as good as he’s felt since the injury today pregame. That’s kind of what he voiced to me. But not quite ready. I think there was risk with putting him out there with a soft-tissue injury. All of the metrics said he’s not quite ready to do it but we’re hopeful. He’s made some progress and we’ll get a good feel for it early next week.”
