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Phil Steele weighs in on Florida, question marks surrounding DJ Lagway's health

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp07/31/25
New Lagway
Florida is counting on Florida quarterback DJ Lagway to lead the way.

In the summer months, Phil Steele becomes one of the most sought-after college football analysts on the planet. He’s got one of the most popular preview magazines, and he usually hits the media circuit to discuss it.

And Steele joined The Paul Finebaum Show on Thursday and instantly hit on a major topic. That being the health of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway.

“It’s going to be huge because Lagway is, if he plays and plays the entire season, he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Phil Steele said. “Quarterback play’s going to be huge. Now they do have Harrison Bailey behind him, who’s a big kid just like Lagway — 6’4″, 230. He’s got some starting experience under his belt, but I think DJ Lagway is special. With Lagway, I think Florida knocks off some of the big teams.”

Lagway is currently dealing with a calf injury that has limited him at the start of fall camp. That comes on the heels of a shoulder injury that kept him from throwing much in the spring, as well as a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a game and a half last year.

Phil Steele, of course, knows a heck of a lot more about Florida than just the quarterback position, though. He dove into some of the things he likes about the Gators.

“The thing I really like about Florida, Paul, is the line of scrimmage,” he said. “They have my No. 5 rated offensive line and No. 10 rated defensive line. If you’re strong at the line of scrimmage, you’ll win quite a few games.

“I also like Jadan Baugh at running back. I think they’ve got some dangerous receivers. I like adding (J. Michael) Sturdivant in from UCLA to go along with Eugene and Dallas Wilson.”

So, where does Phil Steele land on Florida overall for 2025? Well, it’s hard to say given the question marks about Lagway’s health.

But if he remains healthy, the Gators should have a shot at their best season yet under coach Billy Napier. Steele concluded:

“I mean, they play a grueling schedule,” he said. “They’ll be an underdog in six games this year, but like last year, they upset some of them. And I think they’ve got a great shot at doing that again. It’s clearly Napier’s best team. I like everybody in college football, but I’ll be rooting for DJ Lagway to be healthy so we can see his talent.”