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The Athletic Details How Florida’s 2025 Season Could ‘Go Wrong’

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Florida Gators did not have high expectations going into the 2024 college football season. Florida had to play one of the toughest schedules in the country while having a very young core. The Gators proved many critics wrong, though, ending with an 8-5 record and a bowl game victory.

This year, however, head coach Billy Napier and the Gators have been picked by experts to be a team that could cause havoc during bowl season. This includes the Associated Press, which ranked Florida as the No. 15 team in the country heading into the season.

On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Ralph D. Russo gave his thoughts on how every preseason AP Top 25 team’s season could go wrong. What he listed for Florida may not come as a surprise to Gator Nation.

“Nothing is more important to the Gators’ success than quarterback DJ Lagway’s health, but something similar can be said for just about any team,” Russo said.

Lagway’s health had been the biggest talking point surrounding Florida this offseason. After suffering a shoulder injury at the end of last year, which kept him from throwing all spring, the former five-star’s latest bugaboo was a calf strain that he has been rehabbing the past few weeks.

He is back to throwing now, and Napier said “he had his best day” of fall camp on Monday.

“The difference between living up to this ranking and falling flat against a difficult schedule," Russo continued. "Comes down to whether coach Billy Napier and his staff are up to the task of getting the most out of the talented roster they built.”

This is the first time Florida has been ranked in the preseason AP Poll since Napier took over in 2022. With the uber-skillful team he has created, expectations are at an all-time high for Napier.

While the Gators will play a rugged schedule again in 2025, with seven opponents ranked going into the year, if Lagway can stay healthy and the entire roster can step up, Florida fans may be in for an exciting season.

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

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