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Billy Napier fires back at critics of DJ Lagway: 'It's exponential improvement'

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp6 hours ago
Florida-Gators-DJ-Lagway
Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) looks to throw against the Long Island Sharks during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway was hailed as a potential Heisman Trophy favorite by several books and many analysts across college football heading into the season. So far, he’s had a tough go of things.

The Florida quarterback couldn’t get the offense on track during a loss over the weekend to USF, with the team scoring just 16 points in an upset loss. And the team’s lone touchdown only came after a long punt return to set it up.

That’s not going to cut it long term at Florida. But given Lagway’s offseason injuries, some might wonder if DJ Lagway is a little limited.

Head coach Billy Napier bristled at a suggestion that he might be having to hold things back or alter his playcalling due to Lagway’s progression on Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call. He fired back.

“DJ continues to get exponentially better by the day,” Napier said. “The more work he gets, the better he’s going to get. It’s exponential improvement this month because he’s getting a ton of reps each day with his teammates, so I’m excited about that. I think that’s one of the things that I look forward to is watching him continue to get better.”

On paper, DJ Lagway’s numbers look OK enough. He’s completing 74.5% of his passes. He has thrown for 342 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

But he’s missed some obvious easy throws, showing a tendency to fire high on some passes he really shouldn’t be missing. It has led to questions from reporters about his mechanics and his overall comfort level within the offense.

Lagway, of course, dealt with a shoulder injury and a lower-body injury in the spring that kept him from throwing. Then he nursed a calf injury during fall camp that caused him to miss a lot of time.

Napier, for his part, was out to reassure everyone that DJ Lagway is just fine. Whether the coach’s defense will help spark the sophomore quarterback remains to be seen.

But for Napier, that has to be the hope. His job is firmly on the line in Year 4 of his tenure, and the Gators are now behind the 8-ball after losing to the Bulls.