Things are turning out for the better for Billy Napier’s program, it seems! All thanks to Florida Gators freshman DJ Lagway. He had kept the crowd at the edge of their seats at The Swamp on Saturday, September 7 eve. While the Gators had high hopes pinned on the Colorado Buffaloes transfer Cormani McClain. But when he turned out to be a flop, Napier’s hopes to save his job had taken a nosedive.

But not anymore! Unlike FSU’s DJ (Uiagalelei), the Gators’ DJ saved their program. With Lagway around, it’s time for them to shoot for stars as the Graham Mertz replacement left fans with only one cheer “DJ! DJ! DJ!”

DJ Lagway’s unforgettable first start

Fitting into Graham Mertz’s shoes is not an easy task to do! He had been the talk of the town but had to take a sudden exit after suffering an upper-body injury as he took a hit during the third quarter against Miami on August 31. And all kudos to Lagway. The freshman QB came off with flying colors as he went 18-25 with 456 yards, crushing Samford to mere specks of dust. 

Lagway stunned the crowd reaching a career milestone as early in the third quarter his talents reached their peak and he landed his first career touchdown throw. And guess what? He didn’t have to wait for long and in the third quarter itself gifted fans with his second touchdown of the night. 

But hardly did Napier expect that Lagway’s inaugural start would also end up breaking the years-long record. Until September 7, Chris Leak held the record for 21 long years. Back in 2003, Leak threw for 286 yards in his first start vs Kentucky and gifted the Gators with a 24-21 win. Now Lagway replaces Lewk’s name for holding the most passing yards in a game by a true freshman. This was enough for fans to go head over heels!

Fans bask in DJ Lagway’s game-changing performance

In recent times, the Gators fans hardly had any reasons to celebrate. And finally, Lagway took the initiative to flip the script. Here came a fan with a heartfelt plea to protect the freshman QB from pressing the [SWITCH] button, “Please pay him enough to stay and not leave after the year we need him.” The Florida fans are still not over the vacuum left by former player Cam Newton’s poor records as one of them commented, “gonna be what cam newton never was at UF.”

The Cormani McClain fallout did cost Napier hard, as his job relies on how the Gators perform this season. And here Lagway comes with a sigh of relief as commented by a fan, “Might save Billy job.” However, one of the fans is already vibing high thinking about the bright future that holds for the freshman QB, “Can’t wait for him to transfer to Miami next year after Napier gets fired and the Swamp drains completely after a 3-9 season!”

Now that Napier waited for the second game to launch, Lagway left a fan with regret, “Should’ve started him last game, this is the year of the True Freshmen.” It’s still hard for a fan to believe the numbers that the player caught hold of on September 7, “456 yards on 18 passes?! That’s absurd.” Is DJ Lagway the secret weapon to keep Billy Napier’s head coaching dreams alive? Let your opinion pour in!