GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway is reportedly injured again, but the severity and recovery timetable are unclear as UF prepares to open fall camp Wednesday.
The 6-foot-3, 241-pound sophomore has been seen wearing a protective boot, according to a source, because of a lower-leg injury sustained during offseason training. Lagway was unable to throw during spring practices in March and April because of a right shoulder injury. He resumed throwing in late April and said July 16 at SEC Media Days he’d be able to fully participate in preseason practices.
UF declined to address Lagway’s latest ailment as did one of the 19-year-old’s representatives. 247Sports, followed by other media outlets, reported Lagway is in a walking boot. A source confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that Lagway was in a walking boot.
Unlike previous seasons, viewing periods are closed to media the first day of fall camp, along with Thursday and Friday’s practices leading up to fan day Saturday in the Swamp.
If Lagway is unable to practice, sixth-year senior Harrison Bailey or former walk-on Aidan Warner would assume the starting role for a squad able to offer plenty of support. The Gators feature one of the nation’s top offensive lines and backfields, along with playmaking options on the perimeter and at tight end.
Lagway has endured injuries since he signed with the Gators in December 2023 out of Willis, Texas, as the nation’s top quarterback recruit. He injured his right foot during the Under Armour All-American Game Jan. 3, 2024 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Lagway experienced shoulder soreness entering last season.
“I was hurting,” he said at SEC Media Days. “I was playing through a lot of injury and adversity early on, even before the Miami game (in Week 1).”
Lagway was still able to contribute as the backup to veteran Graham Mertz. When Mertz tore his ACL during an overtime loss Oct. 11 at Tennessee, Lagway stepped into a starting role and excelled.
But shortly after he led Florida to a 10-3 lead against rival Georgia, Lagway pulled his left hamstring on a running play and left his team’s eventual 34-20 loss. After sitting out the Gators’ 49-17 loss Nov. 9 at Texas, he returned to engineer a four-game winning streak and emerge as one of the nation’s top freshmen.
Lagway, though, never fully recovered from the hamstring injury, along with an issue with his groin.
Eventually, he underwent surgery this past offseason for a sports hernia dating to his high school career, according to a SEC Network analyst Chris Doering, a Gainesville native and former Gators’ wide receiver.
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