A new era of Florida football will be ushered in this fall with five-star 2024 quarterback recruit and future Gators gunslinger [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] standing on the sidelines for his true freshman campaign.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the program heading into the regular season has been whether or not — or maybe more appropriately, how much — Lagway will see playing time in the upcoming campaign. While incumbent starter [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] has proven to be a capable play-caller, it may behoove the Orange and Blue to put the neophyte under center for a few snaps.
ESPN’s Eli Lederman and Adam Rittenberg recently took on the task of predicting freshman roles for college football’s top 10 recruits which included Florida’s five-star newcomer.
Florida’s QB position outlook
“Florida enters 2024 confident in redshirt senior Graham Mertz ahead of his second season with the program. Lagway is expected to serve as Mertz’s backup for the Gators this fall, leading a quarterback group that includes Colorado State transfer Clay Millen and a trio of walk-ons.”
ESPN’s projection for Lagway
“Florida did not sign a high school quarterback in the 2023 class, and while the Gators are still scouring the class of 2025, the program doesn’t have a quarterback committed in the current cycle, either,” the authors note. “Lagway, the five-star passer from Willis, Texas, is Florida’s quarterback of the future.”
ESPN and other members of the media project him as one of the most intriguing backup quarterbacks in the country.
“He’s better and further along than really what we expected,” a team source told ESPN. “Always knew he was super talented and the right type of kid, hard worker and all of that. But I think he’s made a tremendous jump from when he first got here just mechanically and understanding the offense.”
Since his arrival on campus, Lagway has not been perfect but he has shown early on why he was such a highly-heralded recruit.
“Consistency and decision-making were the trouble spots for Lagway in the spring. Head coach Billy Napier opened fall camp with praise for Lagway’s growth, noting his development in reading the defense and his sharpened mechanics, focusing particularly on Lagway’s footwork.”
Florida’s season opener for 2024
The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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