Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway entered the 2025 season with Heisman Trophy expectations, but has struggled to meet those lofty goals through his first two games. Despite an impressive 74.5 completion percentage, Lagway’s performance hasn’t matched the dynamic playmaking ability he showcased last season.
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The sophomore quarterback’s offseason was derailed by injuries affecting his throwing shoulder and calf. These ailments significantly limited his preparation, preventing him from participating in any live, 11-on-11 practice reps until about two weeks before Florida’s season opener.
“He’s still getting comfortable, and you guys can see that, much like he can and we can,” Napier said of Lagway. “I think he’s still getting in a rhythm. This was his third week of practice, you can see that, getting comfortable with some of these skill players. I think he’s really close to having a huge day.”
Against South Florida in Week 2, Lagway completed 23-of-33 passes for 222 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. He nearly had a second touchdown on a 14-yard connection with tight end Tony Livingston, but it was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Hayden Hansen – a call that coach Napier considered “up for debate” after the game.
Struggling with the Deep Ball
One of the most noticeable differences in Lagway’s game this season has been his reduced effectiveness on deep throws. After averaging 10 yards per attempt last season, that number has dropped to just 6.7 yards in 2025. This decline is reflected in his limited number of explosive plays – defined as passes of 30 yards or more.
In 2025 so far, Lagway has managed just one explosive pass in each game: a 41-yard throw against LIU and a 32-yard completion against USF. This represents a significant decrease from his 2024 performances, particularly against teams like Kentucky (five explosive passes) and Samford (six explosive passes).
Against Tulane, Lagway delivered throws of 31 and 38 yards, while he failed to record any explosive passes against FSU. In the Ole Miss game, he managed a 41-yard throw. When facing LSU, he connected on passes of 34 and 36 yards, and against Georgia he completed a 43-yard throw.
Most impressive was his showing against Samford, where he unleashed passes of 77, 44, 40, 36, 41, and an incredible 85 yards.
Mechanical Issues and Decision-Making
While his stats don’t look terrible on paper, Lagway has struggled with his mechanics and decision-making. Lagway appears to be having difficulty identifying open receivers, consistently overthrowing his targets, and showing issues with his mechanical execution and footwork fundamentals.
Lagway overthrew multiple targets in the USF game, particularly his tight ends. He overshot Tony Livingston on Florida’s opening drive and had two passes sail over Hayden Hansen’s head in the red zone.
Coach Napier has identified Lagway’s tendency to abandon his progression reads as an area for improvement. “There’s a few plays in the game Saturday where he can keep working through his progression,” Napier said. “Certain weeks, they’re going to be conservative and try to keep it in front of you. So, I think part of that is design, we can help him, but he also knows he’s got to help himself at times. Part of playing quarterback is taking what the defense gives you and eventually they’ll give you the game.”
After the USF game, Lagway acknowledged that the defense took away deep ball opportunities, but coach Napier wants him to be more willing to take what’s available underneath. The coach believes Lagway needs to “kill defenses with paper cuts instead of always trying to take a stab.”
Bright Spots and Support
Despite the struggles, there have been promising moments. Against USF, Lagway delivered a well-executed 28-yard pass to Hansen on a wheel route and completed a 32-yard throw to receiver Eugene Wilson III.
Teammate Hayden Hansen has defended his quarterback, saying, “It’s really hard to point the finger at one single person when you watch that film. It’s definitely not all on him. It would be very selfish of me to make a scene about one missed throw. Everybody messes up. At the end of the day, it comes back to practice. We have to rep those looks.”
Coach Napier remains confident in Lagway’s ability to improve: “He takes that personal and he’s an elite competitor. And the number one motivator for him is being able to execute, perform and do his job for his teammates. That’s the thing I respect about the guy is when he doesn’t get the results that he wants on a play, his immediate feeling there is about letting the guys down. So, highly motivated to continue to improve.”
Napier also acknowledged that the entire offense needs to improve to help their quarterback succeed. “We have to play better around him at times, too. Little more precision across the board in the throw game, and then I think as a staff we can help him as well.”
As Lagway continues to heal and gain more practice time, the Gators remain optimistic that their talented quarterback will soon return to the explosive form that made him a Heisman candidate before the season began.
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