The Florida football program took a huge step during the 2024 recruiting cycle with the addition of five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag].
Lacking a true standout at the most important position on the field since [autotag]Kyle Trask[/autotag] — even [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] struggled during his tenure — the Gators are counting on the Lone Star State product to bring the program back to respectability. Lagway will start the season as a backup on the depth chart, but once things begin anything can happen.
CBS Sports writer Cooper Petagna took a look at the top five marquee true freshmen from the last class and ranked them in order of their likelihood of seeing playing time this fall. Lagway came out ranked second under the heading, “More likely than not (to play).”
“On paper, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and the Gators appear to be in a very comfortable position at the quarterback spot as [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and his wealth of experience return to Gainesville with hopes to build on an encouraging first year in the Swamp,” Petagna begins.
“That being said, Lagway is simply too gifted to and too important to Napier’s future to keep off the field as he enters the fray and what is considered to be a make-or-break season for the Gators.”
Demographics
“Listed at 6-foot-3 and north of 240 pounds on Florida’s spring roster, Lagway is coming off a senior season at Willis High School where he set the Texas Class 6A single-season record for touchdown passes all while leading the program to its best record in over 60 years and their first trip to the regional semifinals in almost three decades,” he continues.
“A proven winner, it’s not only the true freshman’s intangibles that should be noted but his dual-threat capabilities too that should allow Napier and his staff the creativity to use the five-star signal caller in a way that should remind most Florida fans of the Anthony Richardson era.”
Florida’s opening game
Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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