GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is moving to a two-quarterback system and giving highly touted freshman DJ Lagway a chance to prove his dazzling debut was no fluke.
Exactly how coach Billy Napier uses Lagway and experienced senior Graham Mertz remains to be seen, though. The tandem — well, mostly Lagway — will be in the spotlight when the Gators (1-1) host Texas A&M (1-1) on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
“I don’t want to put the playbook on the streets here,” Napier said Monday.
Napier insisted his plan all along was to get Lagway “in every game,” but the consensus No. 1 QB recruit in 2023 didn’t play in the opener against then-No. 19 Miami until Mertz sustained a concussion on the final play of the third quarter.
With Mertz sidelined last week, Lagway got his first career start against lower-division and clearly overmatched Samford and delivered the best performance by a freshman quarterback in school history.
Lagway completed 18 of 25 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 victory Saturday night. He shattered the previous freshman mark of 268 yards set by Chris Leak in 2003 against Kentucky.
“If we played the Chicago Bears (on) Saturday, it would be a different story,” Napier said in an attempt to slow the Lagway hype train.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Texan connected on six passes that gained at least 30 yards — something Mertz and the Gators accomplished a mere 14 times last season. His perfectly placed TD passes to Tank Hawkins and Aidan Mizell were as jaw-dropping as anything former Florida QBs Kyle Trask or Anthony Richardson did in the Swamp.
“He gets a little bit more experienced each week, and certainly for him to have the opportunity to be the starter, prepare with the 1s and then go play, and the way he did that, the poise, composure, it shows that he’s ready to do what we intended to with him going forward,” Napier said.
Mertz, a second-year starter at Florida who transferred from Wisconsin, was solid but far from stellar last season. He threw for 2,903 yards, with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions, before breaking his collarbone at Missouri in mid-November.
The Gators finished 5-7 and missed a bowl game for only the third time since 1990. Napier called Mertz’s decision to stay in school “a huge deal” for the program. Mertz spent much of last week helping Lagway get up to speed.
“What I learned about myself is really just that I can adapt to anything,” Lagway said. “Just be ready for any opportunity that comes my way.”
Some close to the team believe Mertz would respectfully handle a reduced role, even if it meant taking a backseat to Lagway the rest of the year.
“We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the team,” Napier said. “I think both these players can make our team better. I think that’s what we intended to do.
“The great thing is there is a great relationship there, confidence, humility from both guys, and a healthy respect from the team and staff for both players.”
Napier can’t really afford to mess up the QB situation. He already is under intense scrutiny following two mediocre seasons filled with in-game gaffes and head-scratching decisions. And there’s a growing sentiment that he could be fired if the losses continue to mount.
He’s 12-15 at Florida in three seasons, including 2-10 against ranked opponents and 1-8 against rivals Miami, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. Napier already has the same number of home losses as Steve Spurrier had in a dozen years at his alma mater.
Would he rather have the 23-year-old Mertz or the 19-year-old Lagway essentially in charge of his fate?
Outspoken defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp, asked about moving forward with Mertz and Lagway splitting time, said opponents are the ones who will face the real dilemma.
“You want to get bit by a rattlesnake or you want to get bit by a king cobra?” Sapp said. “Pick your poison. Either way, I think you’re going to die.”
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