While Lagway makes progress, the backups battle for No. 2

(Photo by Chris Spears)

In a perfect football world, DJ Lagway would be taking every preseason snap as the Florida Gators ready themselves for a season opener August 30 against Long Island University. Despite the imperfection of an August in which Lagway has yet to face live contact while rehabbing a soft tissue injury to his left calf, Billy Napier doesn’t seem all that concerned.

“Look, any football player would be better off taking the reps, right?” Napier replied to a question at his Monday morning press conference. “So, but the key is to be creative in terms of how we format practice, format the walk-through. We've got to maximize all the mental reps, the process reps, the communication reps, right? I think, so – you know, it's not ideal. I mean, that's the way I’ve tried put it in the past, and I still kind of stand by that.

“You know, in the perfect world, he’d be 100 percent and taking every single rep, but he's not able to do that. It does give us an opportunity to really figure out who the backup is. I think it helps us do that. So he's – I mean, he's getting 70 competitive throws every day. So his workload is high, it’s just not with a pass rush, you know? Think we're controlling the environment, trying to take care of him from a soft tissue standpoint."

When the Gators scrimmaged Saturday, it gave Napier a chance to evaluate his three backups. Aidan Warner and Harrison Bailey split up most of the No. 1 and No. 2 snaps, but true freshman Tramell Ward played well enough that he is on track for more work, some of it with the No. 1 offense.

“Tramell Jones is buzz-worthy,” Napier said. “I think he has gotten more reps with the first and second units. I think we're dividing those reps up among those three players. Initially, he [Jones] wasn't taking any. And then obviously, we’ve increased the reps as he has done more and proven that he's capable. So, I think he obviously was injured when he got here and then limited in the spring. And then, you know, he's back to being 100 percent now.”

Jones came to UF as a midyear enrollee out of Jacksonville Mandarin, but injuries set him back in the spring. He’s added muscle to what was a lean frame when he arrived (he’s 202 pounds now) so he’s bigger and stronger. What is critical now is development between the ears. Typically, that’s the last piece of the puzzle for a freshman quarterback.

“I think he did a nice job at the scrimmage, I think made some plays with his feet, he made some off-schedule plays. Still got to operate much quicker, got to process quicker, communicate better, under the gun and the play clock; you know, his ability to manage the problems as they arise, all those things need to improve. But throws a really good ball, he's very accurate, he's got arm talent, and I think he's a smart kid.”


From a strictly experience standpoint, Bailey should win the competition for the No. 2 job. He began his career as a 5-star recruit to Tennessee where he spent two years before transferring to UNLV. From there he transferred to Louisville. As a freshman at Tennessee in 2020, Bailey got SEC starts in the six games he played. He completed 48-68 passes for 578 yards (8.5 yards per attempt), good for four touchdowns (2 picks). When there was a coaching change at Tennessee in 2021, Josh Heupel brought in Hendon Hooker as his QB. That brought on the subsequent transfer to UNLV, but when there was a coaching change after the 2022 season, he transferred to Louisville. For his career, Bailey is 108-171 passing for 1,190 yards (7.0 per attempt) with 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Warner has the most experience in the Florida offense. After a redshirt year as a freshman at Yale, Warner walked on at Florida. He finished the Georgia game after Lagway hurt a hamstring and got a start the next week at Texas. For his career he is 21-50 for 228 yards (4.6 per attempt) with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Warner seems to have made tremendous progress in the offseason. He is throwing a better pass and has more confidence.

Then there is Jones. Napier says his rookie could very well end up as the backup quarterback.

Ideally, Lagway will be the starter on August 30 and he will be healthy. He was 6-0 last year in the games he started and finished. The team has tremendous confidence in him. If you combine skills and the physical element (Lagway is 6-3, 247), Lagway might be the most talented quarterback the Gators have ever had.

Right now, the chief goal for Napier and his staff is to get Lagway ready physically to play at 100 percent by August 30. It’s a good thing the game is not this weekend because Lagway wouldn’t be ready to go, but that shouldn’t be a problem the final Saturday in August.

“Yeah we don't play Saturday,” Napier said. “I think he's doing great. I think he's on schedule. He's executing our plan. You know, I think he had a great day today. I think he had his best day today, he took more reps today than he's been taking. Obviously didn't participate in scrimmage, but he's, you know, he's hitting all his numbers from a throw perspective. Ball is coming out of his hand with more velocity than any time in his career. You know, I think he's just, obviously, we're working on the soft tissue with the calf, and we're going to, we're going to execute our plan there, so he'll be modified for a while here. But, yeah, I wish we played Saturday, but we don't.”

GATORS OPEN AT NO. 15 IN AP TOP 25 POLL

There is good news and there is bad news for the Florida Gators when it comes to the first Associated Press top 25 poll. The good news is the Gators will open the season at No. 15, which is two places ahead of where they are ranked in the first AFCA Coaches top 25.

The high ranking is also bad news. When asked Monday about the ranking, Billy Napier replied, “Yeah but there’s seven teams we play ahead of us.”

The Gators played No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Miami in back-to-back road games in September. The Gators also have games against No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Georgia, No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 24 Tennessee.

If we gauge the AP ranking as progress, then this is the highest ranking in the preseason of any Napier-coached team at Florida, but the coach is keeping it all in perspective.

Look these are all fun to cover, you know, but ultimately the game’s will be played this fall, and that will decide who ends the year ranked what,” Napier said. “We have work to do to get ready for those opportunities. So 20 days until we spot the ball, and I think we're focused on the work at hand, but hey, good to be ranked in the preseason. But we all know that those are projections, and we're going to have to go perform to earn those.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25

1.Texas; 2. Penn State; 3. Ohio State; 4. Clemson; 5. Georgia; 6. Nore Dame; 7. Oregon; 8. Alabama; 9. LSU; 10. Miami; 11. Arizona State; 12. Illinois; 13. South Carolina; 14. Michigan; 15. FLORIDA; 16. SMU; 17, Kansas State; 18. Oklahoma; 19. Texas A&M; 20. Indiana; 21. Ole Miss; 22. Iowa State; 23. Texas Tech; 24. Tennessee; 25. Boise State

NOTABLE NAPIER COMMENTS FROM THE MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

Which unit is ahead?

“I mean, I think defensively probably a little bit further ahead, just because of the, you know, I think we're without a few players on offense, right? So I think that affects our ability to perform. But today, the offense won, right? So I think the defense had some rookie players they had to emerge in the two-deep today, and had to take reps, and I think they felt the urgency of having to perform when the spotlight was on.”

Injuries allowing young guys to step up

“I'm thinking the secondary, we've had a chance to see some of these guys that – they need to grow and develop, so it's been beneficial for them to get reps. The inside backers, Ty Jackson and Myles Johnson have been able to take advantage. Pup [Howard] was able to do a little bit more today, he's been kind of progressing back in, so it's good to have them back out there today. Yeah, I think just in general, we're working three groups, and I think a lot of players are getting an opportunity.”

What he’s seeing in the running game

“I'm pleased with that part. I think we've been able to rush it effectively. I think we've done a nice job on the perimeter as well. All positions contribute to that, but, in particular, I think our receivers and their pride in blocking on the perimeter has impressed me. Tough group, physical group. (Billy) G’s done a nice job with that group. And the tight ends and the backs are also involved in that as well. I think those are two strengths right now, in my opinion."

On VBIII and his chance to contribute as a true freshman

“Vernell is one of the emerging players in camp, in my opinion. I think he's very mature, aware. He’s in great condition, and I think he's durable. He plays fast for a young player, and I think he's decisive, and it's not too big for him. He's very comfortable in the moment, so he's got a chance to impact our team as a freshman. So, overall, not a day goes by where I'm not impressed with some of the things that he does. Hopefully we can continue that way.”