What could go wrong? The Athletic looks at Florida football's worst-case scenario
Even the juggernaut programs of the college football field will feel pressure at some point, and the chances of going undefeated in the modern form of the game are nearly impossible these days — regardless of whether everything goes perfectly to plan. So what happens when the worst possible thing goes wrong?
The Athletic's senior writer Ralph D. Russo addressed this angle in his column looking at how the 2025 college football season could go wrong for every preseason AP Top 25 team. His pick for the 15th-ranked Florida Gators was as predictable as the Sunshine State's summer rains.
"Nothing is more important to the Gators' success than quarterback DJ Lagway's health, but something similar can be said for just about any team," Russo states. "The difference between living up to this ranking and falling flat against a difficult schedule comes down to whether coach Billy Napier and his staff are up to the task of getting the most out of the talented roster they built."
Unfortunately, the health issue continues to rear its ugly head during the fall preseason camp. However, it could be resolved by the opener at home against the Long Island Sharks.
"The injury bug is the only major red flag for Lagway coming into the 2025 campaign," Gators Wire's David Rosenberg offers in his quarterback preview.
"He had core, hamstring and shoulder issues last year, and the fall has brought a calf injury to the table. Lagway is out of the boot after missing the first two days of fall training camp, and he threw publicly for the first time later on in the week. If he stays healthy, Lagway will be among the most dangerous dual threats in the SEC."
That is a big "if" in that final sentence, and Russo is correct to hinge Florida's 2025 success on the health of its sophomore gun slinger. Without their potential Heisman Trophy candidate at the helm, things quickly look grim for the Gators this fall.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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