Florida's Billy Napier Is Making The Wrong QB Call | Barrett Sallee

Florida coach Billy Napier is on the hottest seat in America, so every decision he makes will be under a magnifying glass. He made the wrong decision on Monday.

Napier started blue chip freshman DJ Lagway at quarterback vs. Samford on Saturday in place of veteran Graham Mertz after Mertz suffered a concussion in the season-opening loss to Miami. Lagway showed exactly why he was a five-star prospect and the No. 3 overall player in the Class of 2024. The former Willis (Texas) High School star racked up 456 passing yards, three touchdowns and 16 rushing yards in the 45-7 win over the Bulldogs.

Yet, Lagway might see the bench in critical times in this week’s showdown with Texas A&M.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 07: DJ Lagway #2 of the Florida Gators looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

"It’s a blessing to have two really good quarterbacks and certainly one with a ton of experience and one without," Napier said via On3. "But there’s no doubt both of these guys will make us harder to defend. We intend to use both of them."

Lagway Is The Prized Recruit 

The big question is … why?

Lagway is the future. He’s the prized recruit. He’s the one guy who can save Napier’s job.

Sure, Mertz might be able to navigate through Florida’s minefield of a schedule, get to six wins and earn a bowl berth - which seems to be the ceiling for this Gators squad. However, not all six-win seasons are created equal.

If Mertz takes the majority of the snaps, it will show the decision-makers that Napier is reluctant to let Lagway cook - which would be an indictment of Napier’s recruiting chops and willingness to roll the dice in a critical year. It could also lead to frustration for Lagway, which is dangerous in this era of the transfer portal and player movement. Those ingredients are a recipe for disaster for Napier’s employment possibilities in Gainesville.

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 07: Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) yells out direction to his offensive line during a college football game between the Samford Bulldogs and the Florida Gators on September 7th, 2024 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Conversely, an average record at the end of the season with a true freshman quarterback who somewhat navigated the scheduling minefield would go a long way toward calming the fears of Florida decision-makers. It would be a way for Napier to sell his vision by showing the body of work that his hot-shot prospect puts on tape for a full two-and-a-half months.

Napier’s plan from the jump has been to give Lagway action in as many games as possible. However, the injury to Mertz provides the perfect opportunity for Napier to call an audible and sell his vision for the future of the program.

After all, his job depends on it.