CBS Sports: Can DJ Lagway save Billy Napier's job for good?
As CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello detailed, the Gators' 1-2 stumble last September nearly sealed Napier's fate. A blowout loss to the Miami Hurricanes left Gator Nation bracing for another reset.
Instead, Napier doubled down. Florida ripped off eight wins, took down ranked LSU and Ole Miss teams in back-to-back weeks, and finished with its first winning season since 2020–capped by a four-game win streak and a bowl victory.
"We built really good chemistry, morale and connection with that group," Napier told CBS Sports, crediting his players for taking ownership and buying into the turnaround. "The football wasn't very good the first month, and they really took ownership of that. Maybe if you didn't have that type of character, I don't think we could have done that."
The challenge now? Sustain it. Florida enters 2025 with real College Football Playoff hopes but also sky-high expectations that Napier's 19-19 record won't survive if the Gators slide backward again.
The biggest reason for optimism is Lagway. The sophomore quarterback was cleared for full participation in June after offseason injuries and, as Marcello noted, the numbers don't lie: Florida was 6-0 in games Lagway finished last year and just 2-5 when he didn't.
With four starting offensive linemen returning, one of the SEC's best wide receiver rooms reloaded by UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant and a defense that looked revitalized late last fall, the pieces are there for the Florida Gators to take a step back toward the CFP.
Napier summed up the belief simply: "Man, we got a chance to be pretty good."
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