GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Year 4 for the Gators under head coach
Billy Napier is primed to be intriguing regardless of what happens.
If the Gators crack the College Football Playoff for the first time, Florida fans will rejoice with the program back on the national stage.
If they stumble and take a step back from the promise of last season's strong finish, there will be more heartburn than a late-night trip to Taco Bell.
Nothing is guaranteed other than whatever direction the season takes, sophomore quarterback
DJ Lagway is in the driver's seat. One of Florida's most talented players in the post-Tim Tebow era, Lagway is undoubtedly the highest-paid player in program history.
Lagway is not just the face of the Gators, but the soon-to-be-20-year-old is a living, breathing prototype of his time. Lagway is a constant presence on social media, has accumulated numerous high-profile name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals that have extended his brand far beyond Gator Nation, and has cashed in on financial opportunities that players like Tebow, a generation before, could not have imagined.
You might say it's good to be
DJ Lagway.
Of course, Lagway can't do it alone if the Gators are to challenge for the Southeastern Conference championship and a playoff berth coming off an 8-5 season that included six wins in Lagway's seven starts. All the pieces of the puzzle must fit together. Lagway just happens to be the most significant piece.
With the Gators set to report for preseason camp on Tuesday – Napier will speak at approximately 1:45 p.m. after select players, strength and conditioning coach
Tyler Miles, and assistant coaches
Russ Callaway,
Joe Houston and
Ron Roberts – we take a look at five topics of interest heading into camp:
LATEST ON LAGWAY
No reason to delay the obvious. Lagway's health is the top question mark as camp opens. He missed time as a freshman with a hamstring injury, and he was limited in spring camp with a shoulder injury that kept him from throwing, in addition to a lower-body injury. And then on Monday,
reports surfaced that Lagway suffered a calf injury during a team run last week and has been hobbling around the Heavener Center in a protective boot. Napier addressed concerns outside the building about Lagway's health at SEC Media Day earlier this month. "
DJ Lagway is trying to get better,'' Napier told a small group of Gators beat writers. "He ain't worried about nothing else. It was very fortunate he could play as a rookie. That's priceless. It's like gold. He's hungry to play even better moving forward. You don't have to worry about that guy." Meanwhile, Lagway said in Atlanta that he was ready to go after dealing with "nooks and crannies" like so many players deal with after the grind of a season. Should the latest setback be reason for concern, or are the Gators using extra caution? Napier is sure to address that on Tuesday.
CATCH THIS
Now that we've got that out of the way, a battle I'm looking forward to watching is the receiver lineup. Freshman
Dallas Wilson is the most impressive offensive skill-position player to join the Gators since Kyle Pitts seven years ago, in my opinion. Pitts played on special teams as a freshman in 2018 and as a reserve tight end, but it was clear he was a physical specimen with all the tools to be a great player. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Wilson has that same aura about him. He flashed dynamic skills in the Orange & Blue Game with 10 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. However, this is a group that offers versatility and the potential to make Lagway's life much easier. UCLA transfer
J. Michael Sturdivant, redshirt sophomore
Eugene Wilson III, sophomores
Aidan Mizell and
Tank Hawkins, and true freshmen
Vernell Brown III and
Naeshaun Montgomery give the Gators some talented options. Meanwhile, senior
Kahleil Jackson continues to recover from
season-ending knee surgery that required a recent second surgery.
MORE FROM MOORE?
The Gators have had some solid defensive backs in recent seasons, but they have not had one named to the All-SEC first team since Kaiir Elam in 2020. Could senior
Devin Moore be the player to snap the streak? The 6-3, 199-pound Moore has battled injuries throughout his career but remains a talented prospect with a lot to play for in 2025. Many expected Moore to have a breakout season last year, but injuries derailed his season. I'm not saying Moore is going to make All-SEC, but he owns a lot of untapped potential that could be a huge difference-maker for the UF secondary if he can stay on the field.
NO PUNTER PUNS
Yeah, yeah, I know, punters might be people too, but they are not the sexiest of topics to write about in camp previews. Still,
Jeremy Crawshaw is already
booming punts in Denver the way he did for four years in the Swamp. The Gators signed Michigan transfer
Tommy Doman to take his spot. Doman averaged 42.6 yards per punt with the Wolverines last season, and should he struggle or be sidelined by injury, freshman
Hayden Craig is the backup. Crawshaw was so good that we forgot about how important a high-quality punter can be.
DEFENSIVE STAND
The interior defensive line lost
Cam Jackson and
Desmond Watson, opening the door for veteran
Caleb Banks to showcase his talent in more ways this season. Banks is coming off a foot injury that cost him spring camp, but said he is healthy entering preseason camp. The return of junior
Jamari Lyons (missed season to ankle surgery) is a big boost considering freshman Stephon Shivers' recent dismissal for off-the-field issues and sophomore
D'Antre Robinson getting poached by North Carolina in the spring. Sophomore
Michai Boireau registered 15 tackles as a freshman and figures more prominently in the plans in his second season. But the Gators will need more bodies than those on the interior line. Who will step up? Senior
Brien Taylor Jr. and sophomore
Tarvorise Brown are a couple of candidates to keep an eye on during camp.
