THE Florida Gators are placing trust in freshman quarterback DJ Lagway as they look to get their season back on track.
Starting quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a concussion during last weekend’s disastrous 41-17 opening day loss to Miami.
Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a concussion in the embarrassing loss to Miami[/caption]
DJ Lagway, 19, stepped in as the backup for the final stages of the game[/caption]
Lagway will start this weekend against the Samford Bulldogs[/caption]
Mertz will sit out this Saturday’s important showdown with the Samford Bulldogs in Gainsville.
It opens the door for first-year play-caller Lagway to make his first career start at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Lagway, 19, entered the defeat against Miami late in the contest with the game already lost.
He completed 3 passes for 31 yards and an interception, as well as adding 20 yards on the ground.
Florida coach Billy Napier named Lagway the starter on Wednesday after Mertz remained in concussion protocol.
“DJ’s got a great attitude, obviously,” Napier said, via CBS.
“He’s excited and got a chance to play Saturday for the first time in his career.
“Just to get feedback about that and now understand what it’s like out there as a competitor.
“So far, so good. I thought he did a lot of good things and it’s great to see the other players kind of rally around him.
“But, yeah, it’s definitely a positive for him to be able to take advantage of those reps with the first team.”
Lagway starred at Willis High School in Texas and was the No. 3 overall prospect, according to 247Sports.
He scored 74 total touchdowns as a senior, including 16 TDs on the ground.
The 6-foot-3 quarterback was also named MaxPreps National Player of the Year last December.
“It’s truly a blessing,” he said after receiving the honor.
College football’s 2024 shake-up
Oklahoma and Texas switching from the Big 12 to the SEC is one of the biggest changes to college football in recent times.
And that has set off a chain reaction which has left the Pac-12 conference decimated.
The Pac-12 has lost 10 of its 12 members and is down to just Oregon State and Washington State.
Four of those teams are headed for the Big 12 – Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Another four are going to the Big 10 – Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
And the other two teams, California and Stanford, will join the ACC conference.
No teams have left the SEC, Big Ten or ACC.
“I’m going to come into [the Gators] right away, put my boots on the ground and go to work.”
Lagway, a five-star recruit, committed to Florida over USC, Texas A&M, and Baylor.
He could see extended playing time depending on the severity of Mertz’s injury.
The 23-year-old struggled prior to leaving the Miami blowout in the third quarter.
Mertz recorded just 11 completions on 20 attempts for 91 passing yards and an interception.
The former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback joined the Gators in the spring semester of 2023.
He led the team to a 5-5 record last season, throwing for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns.
