“Doesn’t matter you got DJ Lagway out there”: Billy Napier & Co. snapped back to reality by CFB analyst by pointing out big issue

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators did not have the season they hoped for in 2024. It was an improvement from the previous season as the Gators reached the eight-win mark for the first time since 2020. However, the team was never in the mix to compete for the Southeastern Conference crown.

Entering the 2025 season, there is hope as many fans expect quarterback DJ Lagway to build on his freshman season and break out into a star player. Doing so would certainly help the Gators get closer to their glory days from the early 2000s.

However, on Friday, college football analyst J.D. PicKell spoke directly to Billy Napier and the Florida Gators about not getting ahead of themselves. He discussed how it does not matter how good Lagway is if the rest of the Gators squad does not improve throughout the offseason (starts at 5:50).

"For Florida, if we don't get substantially better over the course of the spring and into the fall, we're not going to be able to take the next step," PicKell said. "Doesn't matter you got DJ Lagway out there or if you had Tom Brady out there. It doesn't matter. If you're not at least up to the price of admission in the SEC, we're not going to be able to do what we want to do here in 2025.

"I'm not telling you Florida has to be first in the SEC. I'm not saying you need to hold teams to less than 100 yards a game. What I am saying is we have to be good enough to give the rest of our roster a chance to impact the game. If we're playing Georgia and they can just gash us, we're gonna have a hard time winning that game. Gonna have a hard time winning any football game."

Billy Napier will have time to train the rest of his team as DJ Lagway sits out the rest of spring training

While DJ Lagway is expected to be the engine of the offense next season, he will reportedly not be available for the rest of spring training. Reports on Friday indicated that Lagway will be stepping away from spring training as a precaution. Billy Napier told reporters that Lagway did not undergo any offseason surgery.

While Lagway not practicing in the spring is disappointing for the Gators, it gives Napier the opportunity to focus on the rest of the team. He can spend more time with other players and get them prepared for the coming season.