Football <\/p>\n
Just one month left for the 2025 college football season to kick off. And Florida fans are still skeptical of <\/span>DJ Lagway<\/b>\u2018s health status. No one blames the tension. After all, you can\u2019t rest in peace when your crown jewel, the one expected to turn the Gators\u2019 history around and save <\/span>Billy Napier\u2019<\/b>s job, is undergoing a vague health situation. As whispers swirled around his shoulder, durability, and whether the upcoming season could make or break him, a Gator legend stepped in with a timely tip, with a reality check from the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Danny Wuerffel<\/b>, Florida\u2019s golden-armed legend from <\/span>Steve Spurrier\u2019<\/b>s era, sat down with Connor O\u2019Gara on <\/span>Saturday Down South<\/span><\/i><\/a> on July 18. He then peeled back the curtain on DJ Lagway\u2019s rise and the red flags. \u201c<\/span>He is a phenomenal young man\u2026 It\u2019s almost like he learned how sprint before he learned how to crawl<\/span><\/i>,\u201d he began. <\/span>But the Hall of Famer also dropped a reality dose of veteran truth. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>I think taking care of your body, the amount of physical therapy and rehab stuff that they have now is unbelievable. I think they do a much better job of monitoring the throws, the number of throws<\/span><\/i>,\u201d he said. \u201c<\/span>I think I threw an ungodly amount of throws through my college and NFL career in the offseason where I can\u2019t throw anything anymore. I\u2019ve got terrible arthritis in my shoulder because I overdid it. So, I think monitoring that, good warm-ups, good cool downs can be really helpful.\u201d <\/span><\/i>And the young QBs are already hearing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n DJ Lagway\u2019s got the arm, the flair, and the off-script spark. But Danny Wuerffel knows better than most that raw talent only gets you so far if your shoulder won\u2019t cooperate. Florida fans saw the upside last fall. As a true freshman, he appeared in 13 games and threw for 1,915 yards and 12 TDs with a 6-1 starting record. But he had to pay an expensive price when a hamstring injury against Georgia knocked him out early. Then came the shoulder pain. And then the silence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Swamp247\u2019s<\/span><\/i> Graham Hall gave the scoop on the <\/span>Cover 3 Podcast<\/span><\/i><\/a>, saying, \u201c<\/span>They didn\u2019t say. And I think that comes down to his family\u2019s wishes wanting to protect this quarterback.<\/span><\/i>\u201d The shoulder pain dates back to high school, and Florida shut him down by February. And analysts have floated everything from shoulder inflammation to a possible hernia-type situation. But all we know is that spring football came and went without DJ Lagway throwing a pass.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Still, Florida reportedly ramped him back up to 210 throws a week. His deep b\u2014 was lethal in 2024 with 12 completions of 40+ yards and a 63.8% clip on throws 20+ yards. But that underneath stuff is a grim 46.6%. And with no spring reps to tighten timing, that\u2019s a problem if you\u2019re trying to shred SEC defenses come September. But DJ Lagway says he\u2019s ready.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the SEC Media Days in Atlanta, DJ Lagway took the podium, flashed a grin, and silenced the noise. \u201c<\/span>Just to say, I don\u2019t have a prosthetic arm<\/span><\/i>,\u201d he cracked. \u201c<\/span>Just letting y\u2019all know that<\/span><\/i>\u2026 <\/span>I\u2019m itching and crawling to get back on the field with the guys.<\/span><\/i>\u201d He sounded like a man on a mission. No shoulder surgery, no excuses. And if you\u2019re wondering what he\u2019s been up to this offseason, he\u2019s just focused on work behind the scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>I\u2019ve been working on mechanics that\u2019s going to help my accuracy this year<\/span><\/i>,\u201d DJ Lagway said. \u201c<\/span>Help my decision-making. It\u2019s been great. I\u2019m just excited to get out there with the guys<\/span><\/i>.\u201d HC Billy Napier didn\u2019t dive into the medical chart either, but said his QB had thrown before the team headed to Atlanta. As far as the health of the general team is concerned, \u201c<\/span>We don\u2019t have anyone that we anticipate not being available at the beginning of training camp<\/span><\/i>,\u201d Napier added.<\/span><\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So here we are. Florida needs a spark. DJ Lagway needs a clean bill of health. If both align, this kid could go from \u201c<\/span>SEC\u2019s most gifted\u201d<\/span><\/a> to \u201cSEC\u2019s most feared.\u201d But he\u2019s got to make it through the grind.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nFootball DJ Lagway can\u2019t wait to get started on the field<\/b><\/h2>\n