Ahead of his sophomore season in Gainesville, Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway voiced a bold confession about Billy Napier’s program, making something clear about the school’s rivalry with the Florida State Seminoles and other NCAA colleges.
The Gators finished a shaky 2024 season, highlighted by a strong finish featuring wins over key opponents. However, the overall campaign was not what the program envisioned and a better performance is expected in 2025.
Lagway was one of the best takeaways from last college football season in Gainesville, as the freshman signal caller stepped in during the year and elevated the team’s performance.
Lagway got his first taste of what college football is all about—rivalries—during his freshman year with the Gators. If the young quarterback didn’t already grasp the magnitude of Florida’s rivalry games, Napier and his staff made sure he and every player learned it quickly.
DJ Lagway #2 of the Florida Gators throws a pass during the first half of a game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida.
“Coming in they give you a little seminar about all the rivalries,” DJ Lagway said, via On3. “Like an hour or two video about different rivalries. Different moments of the games and stuff. So, it gets you real fired up. So, I’ve got a deep hatred for Florida State.”
see also
Gators QB DJ Lagway sends strong warning to rest of the teams ahead of 2025 NCAAF Season
All for the Gators
Lagway must have been fully immersed during the seminar about the Florida-Florida State rivalry, also known as the “Sunshine Showdown”, as he defeated the struggling Seminoles in last season’s Rivalry Week. Lagway and the Gators prevailed during their visit to Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, defeating the home team by a score of 31-11.
During the 2025 college football season, the Gators will renew their rivalries with other schools in the Sunshine State, as they will visit the Miami Hurricanes and host South Florida and Florida State.
