Florida freshman QB DJ Lagway will undergo further testing to determine the extent of the hamstring injury

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway will undergo more testing to determine how long he will be sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Lagway left on Saturday 34-20 loss to No. 2 Georgia in the second quarter and returned to the sideline in the second half with his legs wrapped up and on crutches. He is the second Florida quarterback to opt out this season, joining starter Graham Mertz.

Replays showed Lagway grabbing his left hamstring during a 3-yard run. He was carried off the field to loud applause and the Gators led 10-3 in the rivalry that became known as “the world's greatest outdoor cocktail party.”

“Every team in the country has injuries,” coach Billy Napier said. “One thing I can say is that we have put together a squad that has a certain level of competitive depth and has proven to be beneficial.

“You play in this league, the level of competition, the explosive players, the size, length and speed of the game, the physicality of this game, you're always going to need depth.”

With Mertz out for the season with a torn ligament in his left knee, the Gators were without Aidan Warner against one of the best defenses in the Southeastern Conference.

Warner completed 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards, with an interception that set up a late touchdown. He was also fired twice.

“It's obvious there were some challenges there, but the guy made some plays,” Napier said. “We literally tied it together. I turned it around late. Thrown it away when it was necessary. Leaned on defense.”

Lagway, a highly touted freshman from Texas, completed two of six passes for 47 yards, including a 43-yarder to Aidan Mizell for a touchdown. When he took over from Mertz, Napier spoke of the need to protect him as much as possible.

But QB runs are an inevitable part of Florida's offense. The bigger question is how the Gators managed to play meaningful snaps in a meaningful game.

Napier lost eight scholarship QBs earlier than expected during his three years in Gainesville.

Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson transferred after Napier's first spring in 2022. Anthony Richardson declared for the NFL Draft after an up-and-down season. After his arrest on child pornography charges, his deputy, Jalen Kitna, was fired. Former Ohio State transfer Jack Miller struggled to stay healthy and moved on. Substitute Max Brown was also transferred.

Napier withdrew a scholarship offer to four-star commit Marcus Stokes after a video emerged of him singing lyrics that included a racial slur. And signee Jaden Rashada never made it to Gainesville after a name, image and likeness deal worth nearly $14 million fell through.

Rashada stayed at Arizona State University for a year and then transferred to Georgia. He is now suing Napier and a prominent supporter of the NIL deal.

Colorado State transfer Clay Millen is the third scholarship QB on Florida's roster, but Warner was ahead of him on Napier's depth chart.

“First of all, hats off to Aidan Warner,” Napier said. “We’re talking about a guy who didn’t make it through spring training. … Then two weeks ago I started doing real reps with the second session. So two weeks of work with the second unit. For him to be able to operate today, he obviously made some plays and made a handful of mistakes.”

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