Billy Napier's firing makes DJ Lagway the name to watch if he transfers

Oct 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with quarterback DJ Lagway (2) after a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with quarterback DJ Lagway (2) after a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

On Sunday afternoon, the Florida Gators finally brought an end to the Billy Napier era after a dreadful 3+ seasons in Gainesville. When Florida made the move to fire Dan Mullen and bring in Billy Napier, they hoped that he could replicate the success he had while at UL Lafayette with more resources available to him.

The Gators, ultimately, were never able to build themselves into a contender in the SEC and it was finally time for the program to start looking for a better option. Napier came into the 2024 season on the hot seat, but he was able to preserve his job thanks to one player.

DJ Lagway arrived in Florida as a promising five-star quarterback that could help be the steadying force for the program. Shockingly, despite all of the potential Lagway flashed, Napier decided to start veteran Graham Mertz, and it almost cost him his job before Lagway even started.

When Graham Mertz was injured, it forced Napier‘s hand early and the flashes that DJ Lagway showed were enough to keep Napier around for the season. The Gators went on a run, finishing the season 8-5 and it built a ton of excitement for the 2025 season.

An injury to his elbow kept DJ Lagway out of Gators practice for an extended period which showed when the Gators started the season 1-3 as the offense was never in sync. 

Now as Florida looks for a new head coach, what DJ Lagway decides to do will have a massive impact nationally. The job is much easier to pitch to head coaches if Lagway is penciled in as the starting quarterback while it will also help keep some of the exciting young receivers on this roster.

The Transfer Portal makes things more interesting than ever; however, as DJ Lagway could become the top free agent on the market if he decides to leave Florida. Top programs like LSU, Penn State, and Miami will all be looking for a starter and could pay top dollar to find an instant plug-and-play starter.

The Gators ultimately decided that even if DJ Lagway is a star, they couldn't go forward with Billy Napier as their Head Coach. Now, dozens of programs around College Football will be waiting on Lagway's decision as it could create a bidding war.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations