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Analyst Suggests That DJ Lagway's Injury Was Blown Out of Proportion

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex O'Reilly | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 2:21 PM ET

Quarterback DJ Lagway emerged as a star for the Florida Gators, helping salvage their season. After the expected starter, Graham Mertz, went down with an injury, Lagway was thrust into the starting role as a true freshman. He performed well throughout the season, helping the Gators finish the season strong after a slow start that eliminated them from playoff contention.

However, Lagway struggled with injuries himself towards the end of the season. Those injuries kept him out for most of spring practice and stopped him from doing throwing drills. On a recent episode of the Crain & Company podcast, ESPN's Chris Doering dropped some interesting information, suggesting that the injury was blown out of proportion.

Holding him out during the spring was just precautionary," Doering said. "A lot of people are talking about the shoulder. The reports that I heard that it was more of some sort of a hernia-type issue that dated back to his high school days that they were aware of that they were trying to rest and not have too much strain on the shoulder by having him throw when his midsection wasn’t right."

This is good news for Florida Gators fans as it implies that Lagway should be more than ready to start in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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