DJ Lagway is currently one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Or, he is one of the most fragile ones in the sport. The juxtaposition of both these aspects is undermining the QB’s capacity for the Florida Gators. He’s a sensation on the field, no doubt. In his debut year, he already has a Bowl game MVP title to his name. Despite the average-level score Florida had finished the season with, Lagway saw some high praise coming his way. All of that, however, is subject to his injury issues.

Lagway was 2024’s top-rated QB in the recruiting class, and Billy Napier struck gold after getting him on board. In 2025, according to On3, Lagway still holds onto his 5-star status as a recruit. “Florida’s entire roster rallied around this guy and was a completely different football team, just because he existed,” said On3’s Ari Wasserman in an April 9 episode. In his list of top 10 QBs in CFB, he crowns Lagway as the best. Wasserman also said that if people had watched him play, they’d agree with his claim that the Gators QB could clinch the Heisman this year.

However, a major red flag of Lagway is how prone he is to injuries. Andy Staples remarked that the QB’s fitness becomes a problem when he seems to be more exceptionally talented compared to others. The analyst said, “You have this thing that is designed to do things that nobody else can do. But because of that, it’s a little more fragile than other things.” He continued, “That’ll be the one that you keep an eye on. Because if you get into July, and he’s not throwing, yeah, worry. Like, that’s a reason to worry.” DJ Lagway is still participating in spring practice on a limited basis, and Staples thinks he won’t likely begin throwing until June.

Lagway stepped in for then-QB1 Graham Mertz, who suffered a concussion. During the 2024 season, Lagway took a hit to the shoulder. He also sustained a hamstring injury in the game against Georgia and played limitedly since then.

In the seven games he played, a battered Lagway pulled the team through a four-game winning streak towards the end. Lagway, despite the brilliance of the class act that he is, is a cause of concern when riddled with injuries. While he is an issue currently for Billy Napier, he received a troubling prediction from insiders if things do not work out this season.

Billy Napier receives harsh criticism

The Gators have a tough schedule ahead of them. They’ll be facing LSU, Georgia, and more competitive programs, which will be their true tests. Mike Bratton of That SEC Football Podcast thought it was high time Napier delivered upon the expectations that people have carried for so long, or else co-host Cousin Shane thinks top brass might come for the HC’s job.

He let his thoughts flow freely in a March 31 episode. Cousin Shane said, “You ever have one of them slow cookers? You put it on six and low and just let it roll? That’s what we’ve been doing down in Florida. We’ve just been marinating for this particular season.” He said it’s time now for Napier to act. “The Florida Gators would have fired something. There would have been b–b threats, Mike, if six and a half was the over/under is.” He made quite the extreme claim, too: “Fact of the matter is, they gonna fire him because I’m taking the under.” Dramatic but understandable. He’s failed to recreate the success he made with Louisiana. Now, in his 4th year, Billy Napier has to act.

It’s been some time in spring camp, and the star of the show at Florida still remains unreliable. Lagway can only be the star people tout him to be if that injury doesn’t act up. Not only that, he also has to steer clear of adding more to that tally. Billy Napier, on the other hand, should see 2025 as a make-or-break year. Or else, he stands at the risk of losing that HC hat in Florida.