Billy Napier Announces Season Ending Injury For Key Florida Athlete as DJ Lagway Status Updated

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators have hit a rough patch. Now, their record stands at 1-3 after a loss to Miami in what ESPN called the worst offensive showing of Napier’s tenure. The Gators only managed 141 yards and went 0-for-13 on third downs, which laid the execution issues bare. The Gators also close this month with three straight losses and significant injury up front as they enter the bye week before meeting Texas.

But amid all of this chatter comes some good news and some bad news, and ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg becomes the carrier of both. Rittenberg just posted on X, “Florida coach Billy Napier said QB DJ Lagway is ‘fine’ and ‘100 percent’ after being stepped on during the Miami game. Lagway practiced on Tuesday.” This is a welcome update, considering how much Lagway has been marred by injuries. Lagway was in a precautionary boot (yes, again) after he was stepped on in the Miami game. Moreover, Lagway’s limited offseason reps are showing in the games as he struggles to make plays, and Florida succumbs to competition. At minimum, though, the QB1 is healthy and goes into the bye week with all limbs working; that’s all that matters.

Now, time for the bad news, and this one really hits. As per Adam Rittenberg, “Napier also said CB Dijon Johnson will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury requiring surgery.” The injury in question was sustained by Johnson in the second half of the Miami game. This is a huge blow to an already struggling Gators roster. Johnson had started all four games and logged eight tackles with an interception against LSU. He posted four tackles and a pass breakup against Miami before he headed to the sidelines. His contribution shows how important an anchor he was in the secondary. Now, with him sidelined, former five-star Cormani McClain’s responsibilities are set to increase as he picked an interception against Miami.

And that’s not all. Beyond Johnson, the injuries have been a regular source of stress for Napier and co across position groups. The offensive line has shuffled regularly with starters managing lower-body issues. The receiver’s room has dealt with some hamstring tweaks. And the front seven is also getting dinged up pretty frequently.

All of this now funnels into a brutal test after the bye week. Texas Longhorns, who themselves haven’t been in great form, will try to dominate Florida to maintain their status quo. The Longhorns are followed by Texas A&M, then Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and FSU. That’s a brutal schedule. And the rough patch they are going through makes it even worse. Anyway, the task for Florida is to get back on track this bye week. Correct things that need correction and just be at it always.

Timing the decision

The mood in Gainesville is not great for Billy Napier, and that’s not just because of a struggling offense and a frustrated fanbase, either. It’s also about roster stability around one key player, who still keeps hope alive, DJ Lagway. And that’s why firing Billy Napier right now makes no sense. As John Talty puts it, “But the other piece of it is that, especially right now, guys can redshirt if they want to. And so I just think that it makes sense, because it’s a bye week, but if you say pull the plug… it would seem to make sense to hold on.” If they fire Napier right now, they’ll lose Lagway, who has been loyal to Napier, and for most of the guys, the season would be over.

Although Lagway hasn’t had the best of seasons either. He was pegged as one of the best QBs entering this season, but all that hype has been met with disappointment. And that disappointment is because of his injury-ridden year. He missed the spring reps, was banged up in the fall camp, and the offense hasn’t helped. But he still remains the program’s centerpiece, which is why Talty’s words resonate.

On firing Napier, he says, “You can maybe do it on the second bye later in the season… if you fire Billy Napier today, does DJ Lagway say I’m redshirting, I’m out of here? You start losing guys, and then it gets really, really ugly down the stretch.” This is a tricky situation. Stability now will preserve a lot of options later, but if the administration pulls the plug now, it’ll be chaos in the Swamp.