Florida coach Billy Napier told reporters Monday that quarterback DJ Lagway’s injury is not as significant as anticipated and “there’s a pathway for recovery and return.” He’s not yet been ruled out for the Gators’ visit to No. 5 Texas on Saturday.
Lagway, a five-star freshman, was carted off the field after sustaining a leg injury on a run during the second quarter of a 34-20 loss to No. 2 Georgia. Every teammate left the sideline to encourage him as he left the field with 5 minutes left in the first half. Napier told ABC at halftime that Lagway had a “pretty significant” hamstring injury and after the game said Lagway would undergo an MRI on Sunday.
Lagway was Gatorade’s national high school player of the year last season in Willis, Texas. He was a top-10 national recruit and one of Florida’s biggest signees since Tim Tebow. He gave Florida a 10-3 lead with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Mizell in the second quarter. It was his 11th completion of at least 40 yards in three starts. His predecessor, Graham Mertz, had none this season.
With Mertz out for the year with a torn ACL, Florida turned to No. 3 quarterback Aidan Warner, a redshirt freshman preferred walk-on who transferred from Yale. Warner completed just 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards, with an interception that led to Georgia’s final touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Florida has a difficult finish to the season, with the loss to Georgia followed by Texas, No. 14 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss before the regular-season finale against rival Florida State. The Gators (4-4, 2-3 SEC) need to win two of their last four games to qualify for a bowl game in Napier’s third season.
(Photo: Melina Myers / Imagn Images)
