Florida's DJ Lagway among The Athletic's most interesting college football people

USA Today

12 hours ago

The upcoming college football season is packed with intrigue, no doubt, as the nation's favorite gridiron gang returns to the field this fall.
From players to head coaches to athletic directors — and even including members of the media — there is no shortage of characters to play lead roles in the 2025 campaign's dramatic unveiling. With just one week remaining before Week 0's opening kickoff, The Athletic's senior writer Joe Rexrode put together his list of the top 25 most interesting college football people.
Among those selected was Florida Gators sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, who carries the weight of the entire program on his shoulders heading into his first year as a true starter. His late-season heroics last fall helped save Billy Napier's head coaching job while also snapping a streak of futility for the Orange and Blue.
Expectations remain high for the gunslinger out of Willis, Texas, but injuries have unfortunately ruled the narrative surrounding him of late.
"Unfortunately, some of the intrigue relates to Lagway's preseason injuries, and he's had a few of them dating to the hamstring he pulled last season against Georgia," Rexrode begins. "That's the only game the Gators lost with him as a starter, winning the other six, and there's plausible hope that he can turn the Gators into a Playoff contender and cement Billy Napier as the long-term answer in Gainesville."
"He's a potentially special player. But he has to play. In less than a month, it's Florida at LSU, at night," he concludes.
Rexrode's colleague Ralph D. Russo at The Athletic recently referred to the loss of Lagway as Florida's worst-case scenario.
"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."
Long story short: it all comes down to DJ whether the Gators succeed or fail. Whether that is fair or not remains to be seen.
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