School: Florida
HEAD COACH: Billy Napier (4th year, 19-19; overall 59-31)
2024 RECORD: 8-5 overall, 4-4 (10th in SEC)
RETURNING STARTERS: Offense – 6; Defense – 7, Special Teams – 1
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QV DJ Lagway, RB Jaden Baugh, WR Eugene Wilson II, C Jake Slaughtger, DB Devin Moore, LB Myles Graham, DT Caleb Banks, DE Tyreak Sapp
VERSUS GEORGIA: Nov. 1 (Jacksonville)
Do the Gators have someone special in quarterback DJ Lagway
Florida hopes so.
As a freshman, Lagway showed a lot of poise for Florida, throwing for 200 or more yards in four of his seven starts for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Helping out Lagway will be four starters on the offensive line, along with running back Jadan augh who earned All-SEC freshman honors after running for 673 yards and seven touchdowns.
There’s talent at receiver, led by junior Eugene Wilson Jr., but it’s going to be up to Lagway to make it happen for the Gators if they want to start inching back toward the upper part of the SEC.
Can Florida's defense build on last year?
The Gators got off to a slow start defensively before turning it around the second half of the season.
Florida went from giving up 27.3 points in its first four games to 19.1 over the final nine.
But will that trend continue?
If there’s a concern for the Gators defensively it’s the fact Florida’s depth on the defensive line does not appear as deep as before.
There’s experience in the secondary, however, with three starters returning.
Will Florida's schedule be to its detriment again?
While the Gators may feel better about their team than they did a year ago, Florida’s schedule is just as tough.
Florida opens SEC play on Sept. 13 at LSU, followed by a trip to Miami, before back-to-back games against Texas (Gainesville) and Texas A&M (College Station).
The Gators’ final five games are against Georgia, Kentucky, and Ole Miss on the road, followed by Tennessee and Florida State.
It won’t be easy.
