Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier had one big goal for his offense during the off week: Give quarterback DJ Lagway as many reps as possible.

The sophomore passer missed the majority of the offseason and preseason training with an unspecified injury. Today, Napier blamed that setback with some of Lagway’s struggles early in the 2025 season. The Gators head coach used the break in game play to try to rectify the problem.

“We did quite a bit of 11-on-11, full speed work with DJ, just trying to get caught up,” Napier said. “For him, I think that was important. Just more live bullets with him and the other players. I think that’s what he needs.”

Napier went in depth on how important those repetitions are for the quarterback position, in particular. He said taking mental reps from the sideline can’t come close to the experience gained from being the one in the middle of the action.

“This is a game that’s made up of preparation. It’s a repetition game, and in particular the quarterback position,” Napier said. “You’re constantly self-correcting at the quarterback position. There’s no substitute for that.”

It’s the most direct acknowledgement yet from Napier on how the lack of offseason practice has affected his quarterback.

Napier said they gave some of their starters on both sides of the ball a rest during the time off. However, it was important to him that Lagway got simulated game action to aid his development and shake off the rust from that missed offseason.

The Gators head coach said that approach will continue with practices this week ahead of their game against No. 9 Texas in Gainesville.

“He needs to continue to get back closer to being himself,” Napier said. “We’re trying to do our best for him in terms of creating an environment where he can continue getting back in his rhythm. That’s the most important thing for him.”

This Saturday will be a tough test against yet another Top 10 team, but it serves as an opportunity for both Lagway and his team to bounce back after a few rough weeks.

The only loss for the Longhorns this year came on the road at No. 1 Ohio State. However, while UT’s results are solid, the Longhorns and star quarterback Arch Manning haven’t quite measured up to preseason expectations.

It will be the latest in what is a season full of tough tests for UF. After a week off, Napier is challenging his team to respond to its early adversity. That includes Lagway as well as his teammates.

“He’s been pretty transparent about how he feels and what he needs to do. And look, we need to play better around him. I think each position group needs to step up,” Napier said. “Everyone is saying we need a spark. Well, the challenge is that everybody needs to do their part in creating a spark.”

Florida and Texas kick off at 3:30 p.m. on CBS on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Related Florida Stories

2025 SCHEDULE: Dates, locations, TV times, results. CLICK HERE