How 'palpable thirst' for Florida QB DJ Lagway could lead to playing time in 2024

Nick De La Torre of Gators Online joined Andy Staples On3 on YouTube on Monday, where he evaluated the quarterback play of both DJ Lagway and Graham Mertz from the Florida Gators’ spring game.

“Thank you to Nick De La Torre from Gators Online for joining us to talk about Florida’s spring game, because Nick, the excitement for D.J. Lagway is palpable,” Staples prefaced the conversation. “That touchdown pass over the middle, splitting the zone. Beautiful. That said, I think Graham Mertz leading the field goal, winning field goal drive at the end of the game, still tells you where Florida is at for the near future.”

Even though the excitement for Lagway is incredible, De La Torre relented that Florida is still looking to have Mertz lead them, at least during the 2024 campaign.

“Yeah, it’s interesting, because D.J. Lagway is the future, while Graham Mertz is the present, I guess you could say, and the future for August,” De La Torre stated. “So Florida’s in an interesting spot, because I think, I was trying to go back, and in 2000, they didn’t really have rankings, but Brock Berlin probably would be the highest-rated quarterback Florida has ever signed, not named D.J. Lagway. So there is a a palpable thirst from the fan base to get more D.J. Lagway, but Graham Mertz is going to be your starting quarterback. I think that’s not questioned, and because that’s not a question, Graham is comfortable.

“He’s not looking over his shoulder. I think you’re not getting a situation like Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer in Cleveland, where Brian Hoyer doesn’t talk to Johnny, because he’s worried about losing his job. Graham’s not worried about losing his job, and because of that, he’s taken DJ under his wing, and is showing him how to be a college quarterback. How to be the quarterback at the University of Florida. And I think that’s going to eventually be really good for DJ, and DJ will eventually be really good for the Gators, but it’s Graham Mertz’s team this year.”

Staples elected to compare the situation to other situations involving talented freshman, and the fact that there’s potential for Lagway to look elsewhere in the future, if it doesn’t go well in 2024.

“It’s interesting, because we’ve seen these situations play out in the past few years where it’s been clear that the very highly rated freshmen came in expecting to play right away, and then was slightly surprised,” Staples added. “It feels like this has been explained, telegraphed, I don’t know how else to describe it. But everybody was on board with this, when DJ signed. Graham was on board with this.

“I wonder, you know, if Graham Mertz isn’t a guy who started three years at Wisconsin, who, you know, came to Florida, kind of reinvigorated his career. If he’s not that person, if he’s somebody who’s only started for a year, I would imagine is a little more dicey situation.”

Regardless, De La Torre relented that it’s Mertz’s team this season, but into the future, it’s anyone’s guess when Lagway gets on the field.

“Yeah, it could be. Listen, if Graham didn’t have the year that he had last year. If he had thrown some more interceptions. If he hadn’t won the locker room over, maybe it’s different,” De La Torre explained. “It’s funny to say you know, that a quarterback on a team that didn’t go to a bowl game, his job is safe. But I think that’s where we’re at. And, I think the conversations that Florida had to have with DJ and his dad and the family, like you said Andy, everyone was on board with this plan. And I think Graham himself had a good spring camp. I think the best way to put it is Graham is probably taking college calculus, and D.J. Lagway is taking algebra, in terms of their knowledge of the playbook, and and what the offense is trying to do.

“That being said, I don’t think there’s any point in not playing D.J. Lagway. There’s no point in redshirting him. If he is as good as we think he will be, he won’t be in college for three years. And if he’s not, he’ll probably use the transfer portal, as quarterbacks do, and go find somewhere where he can play right away. So there’s really no point in redshirting D.J. Lagway, and that then falls on Billy Napier and Russ Callaway and Ryan O’Hara, to try to figure out how to use DJ in impactful ways, so that you’re not wasting one of the three years you’ll get from him.”

Time will tell when DJ Lagway gets on the field again for Florida. Nevertheless, it’ll be hard to keep Florida fans from yearning for him, unless Graham Mertz plays lights out in 2024.