Looks like the fault is in Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier’s stars. Last season, he was almost on the verge of losing his head coaching seat. But thank God for DJ Lagway. The quarterback saved Napier’s seat. With this, last year marked the head coach’s first winning campaign with the Gators, wrapping the season with an 8-5 record.
But looks like it’s a deja vu moment for Napier moving into 2025. The Athletic released a list of 6 SEC coaches along with their hot-seat temperature check. And what’s the prediction for Napier? “Lukewarm but worth keeping an eye on.” Last time, only Lagway bore the burden to save the sinking Florida ship. However, this time, the head coach, along with his quarterback, can count on not one, not two, but FOUR rising stars.
On August 13, Gators Online senior writer Zach Abolverdi tweeted, “Four freshmen have emerged for the Gators in training camp. All of them are former top-100 recruits, including two five-stars.” Do you remember what Napier said in an interview with On3? “…we have quite a few of these younger players that we need to continue to grow and develop,” shared the head coach. Two weeks later, it looks like the universe granted him his wish. Now, who are the players who turned heads during Gators training camp?
Four freshmen have emerged for the Gators in training camp.
All of them are former top-100 recruits, including two five-stars.
DETAILS: https://t.co/5Uw5PW0f3Y pic.twitter.com/cGWPLRRovK
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) August 13, 2025
“I think we’ve seen players emerge in some of these critical battles,” a happy Napier said. The quick-witted quartet are WR Vernell Brown III, CB Ben Hanks III, TE Amir Jackson, and offensive lineman Jason Zandamela. Talking about Brown? The 5-star and the No.6 receiver of the 2025 class, he was Napier’s highest-rated signee in 2025 and has a chance to start as a true freshman. We have seen Brown running reps with Napier’s first team offense this fall. As Eugene Wilson III is missing time, Brown fills the spot. He came up with a touchdown on the August 9 scrimmage.
And already Napier waved a green flag for Brown. The head coach said, “Vernell is one of the emerging players in camp, in my opinion. I think he’s very mature, aware. He’s in great condition, and I think he’s durable. He plays fast for a young player, and I think he’s decisive, and it’s not too big for him. He’s very comfortable in the moment, so he’s got a chance to impact our team as a freshman. So, overall, not a day goes by where I’m not impressed with some of the things that he does. Hopefully we can continue that way.” The next up in line is Hanks.
Another 5-star in Napier’s camp, the freshman did not leave any stones unturned to turn himself into a bigger force. He gained 12 pounds this summer, going from 180 to 192 this offseason. This might open the gates to finding a spot in Florida’s two-deep on defense. To Napier, Hanks ticks off all the boxes, “I think Ben Hanks has done a great job. I think he’s really come on, and since we talked last, I think he’s had a good couple of practices. … When I think about our defense, I think about building depth in the secondary, working contingency plans; who’s the fourth corner?” Now, how could we miss Jackson?
The No.7 tight end from the 2024 class was a summer enrollee. He has already redshirted, stepping into the gridiron in four of the last five games. While he had a tough time learning the nitty-gritties of the position, offensive coordinator Russ Callaway is happy with his progress and said he has “come a long way.” One of Jackson’s special traits seemed to have won Napier’s heart. The head coach shared, “I think Amir, another guy who’s gotten bigger and stronger, added muscle to that frame. He’s wiry. He has play strength. He’s not scared. He’ll put his face in there. He’s a guy who didn’t play tight end. … But Amir, he’s earned our respect because of the toughness.” Amidst this group of rising stars, Zandamela earns the spotlight, too.
“I think Jason Zandamela has had a good camp. He’s really impressed me with the progress he’s made at center. … Jason Zandamela has developed nicely,” said Napier. The Southern Cal transfer had a tough time with the recovery after injury. But he has risen like a phoenix and will be Jake Slaughter’s backup, and took hold of the golden opportunity of the empty No.2 spot with Riderick Kearney no longer playing center. Amidst all these roster changes, Gators fans might still be looking for an update on their favorite Lagway.
Billy Napier gives away some glimmer of hope with DJ Lagway’s health update
Napier’s quarterback has already found himself under the NFL radar. As the NFL Rookie Watch could not stop obsessing over Lagway. They came up with an Instagram post on June 3. A part of the caption read, “DJ Lagway is built like an absolute TANK at the QB position. One NFL scout reportedly believes Lagway is one of the ‘scariest built’ QB prospects to ever play the game.” But the NFL conversation can wait. Napier, for the past few months, must have been having sleepless nights. The reason? Lagway’s family went silent over his recovery. Last season tested Gators and Napier’s patience when the quarterback was carted off the field during their face-off against Georgia because of a hamstring injury.
Hardly did they expect that the quarterback would be sidelined for the rest of the season. Along with this, the player has been fighting with a shoulder injury since his high school days. That’s when, in That SEC Podcast, host SEC Mike shared his concern, “Now, maybe Harrison Bailey surpasses him during camp, but I don’t know. I don’t know, man. All this is not good. And again, they’re saying it’s not bad, but I mean, the fact this guy’s dealing with three different injuries now, something’s got to give here, you know what I mean?” But finally, Napier came up with the much-needed update.
Lagway went missing from Florida’s opening training camp. He was also not spotted in their first scrimmage. Here came some news with hope. As Napier shared on August 11, “I think he’s doing great. I think he’s on schedule; he’s executing our plan. … He had a great day. Think he had his best day today. He took more reps today than he’s been taking. Obviously, he didn’t participate in the scrimmage [last Saturday], but he’s hitting all his numbers from a throw perspective. The ball is coming out of his hand with more velocity than at any time in his career… We’re working on soft tissue with the calf, and we’re going to execute our plan there. So, he’ll be modified for awhile.” So, what can we make out of this?
For the second scrimmage, the air of confusion has still not cleared about DJ Lagway’s level of participation. And the question remains, even if he is back, can he be able to keep Billy Napier’s boat afloat like the last season?
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