GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway will “start throwing in a couple weeks,” coach Billy Napier said Saturday.
Lagway was limited throughout spring practice with a shoulder injury that lingered from last season and played sparingly in the team’s annual spring game. Lagway played five snaps Saturday, all first down handoffs.
“DJ’s doing great,” Napier said. “He’ll start throwing here in a couple weeks. Just in general, very positive there. The lower-body stuff was good, and I think we’re working on just kind of getting him in position for the next step. But, in general, there are a lot of positive; everything’s on schedule.”
Napier raised red flags last month when he said Lagway would be a limited participant during spring, his first as the team’s starter. Instead of getting valuable repetitions, Lagway spent a month handing off, watching passing plays and calling the offense.
“He’s frustrated,” Napier said. “Obviously, he wants to play. Nobody likes to play more than that guy.”
Lagway missed some practice time last fall with shoulder soreness, a lingering issue from his high school days. But it never caused him to miss a game.
He was sidelined one game last November while recovering from a strained left hamstring he suffered against Georgia. But he started every game after, including Florida’s bowl victory against Tulane in December.
Napier said the plan to sit him during spring was “to be very smart.” Now, given rest, he is expected to be full go when the team reconvenes for workouts in June. Of course, the real test will come when he starts throwing again.
Lagway completed 60% of his passes for 1,915 yards, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman last season. He took over the starting role after Graham Mertz tore a knee ligament at Tennessee last October.
The Gators signed college journeyman Harrison Bailey to be Lagway’s backup this fall. Bailey has played at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville. Bailey completed 29 of 43 passes for 363 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception in the spring game. He also was sacked five times.
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Mark Long, The Associated Press
