Florida‘s star quarterback DJ Lagway made his preseason camp debut Saturday, throwing passes whereas carrying a sleeve on his left leg after struggling a strained calf injury this summer time. It was a key step ahead for the Heisman Trophy hopeful, who missed spring observe with a shoulder subject and has been on the shelf quite a few occasions for the reason that begin of his school profession final yr.
The sophomore strained a hamstring in that very same left leg final season and missed every week with the harm.
Gators coach Billy Napier mentioned this week that Lagway could be restricted to begin camp and was listed as day-to-day.
“Basically, he is made numerous fast progress,” Napier said. “However will probably be one thing that we’re monitoring, and hopefully as we go, his capability to take part in observe might be just a little bit extra every alternative that we get going ahead.”
As long as the health ailment stays a comparatively minor subject, Lagway ought to be again on the sector properly upfront of Florida’s Week 1 sport towards Lengthy Island. The Gators could go as Lagway goes this fall; a wholesome model might make them a darkhorse contender to reach the SEC Championship Game.
That outlook is the product of a stellar conclusion to Lagway’s true freshman season, whereby he dazzled over the ultimate 4 video games of the marketing campaign and led Florida to wins in every of these contests, two of which got here towards ranked opponents. Lagway accomplished 59.9% of his passes on the yr and threw 9 interceptions, however the brilliant spots outweighed his rising pains. A 456-yard explosion towards Samford was an incredible introduction to the Lagway period, and he concluded the 2024 season with a 305-yard effort in a Gasparilla Bowl blowout of Tulane.
Lagway joined Florida final yr because the No. 1 quarterback within the 2024 recruiting class and No. 3 prospect general. The five-star signee, per 247Sports, tasks because the face of this system as he hopes to raise a Gators squad that struggled within the opening years of the Napier period. Within the course of, he could cement himself as a premier NFL Draft prospect.