Florida’s highly touted true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is expected to start Saturday against Samford, head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday.
Graham Mertz, who started the 2023 season and last week’s opening loss to Miami, left the third quarter of Saturday’s loss with a concussion. Mertz was hit as he threw and needed help leaving the field. Lagway replaced Mertz and completed 3-of-6 passes for 31 yards and an interception, along with 20 rushing yards. Lagway led a nine-play, 58-yard scoring drive.
Napier said Wednesday that Mertz hasn’t practiced this week, and redshirt freshman Aidan Warner would back up Lagway.
Lagway was ranked the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country by both 247Sports and On3 when he signed with the Gators. The Willis, Texas product was a consensus five-star recruit. Though the Gators lost several recruits before last year’s class signed, Lagway stuck with the Gators after having been committed to them for a year.
“We would play a brand of football that reflects his experience and his strengths,‘’ Napier said Monday on the possibility of Lagway starting. “No different than we do each week. But I’ve got a ton of confidence in DJ. We’ve had him since January. He’s a completely different person and player than he was when he first arrived.
Napier noted the new helmet communication that coaches can have with quarterbacks should help Lagway in his first start.
“He’s got a really good knowledge of our system,” Napier said. “I do think coach-to-player (communication) helps a young quarterback. There’s an advantage there that maybe you wouldn’t have had a year ago.”
Photo: Matt Pendleton / Imagn Images
