Florida football’s spring is approaching closing time.
The Gators held their first spring scrimmage Tuesday and now have just three practices remaining before the fans get their first look at the 2025 squad in the Orange and Blue game next Saturday, April 12.
Coach Billy Napier spoke to the media after the scrimmage. Here’s some highlights of what he said:
DJ Lagway practicing, not throwing
The update everyone wants. Napier continued to remain somewhat vague about the future of Florida’s program. The coach said Lagway played a couple of plays, but he did not throw. He called it a “holistic approach.”
“Today he played every play from behind. He stood back there with me, got the play call,” Napier said. “We’ve been having him call some plays in seven-on-seven drills, just to kind of reiterate that communication. I think we’ve given him some leadership assignments.”
Napier expects the same role to continue for the Orange and Blue game.
UF has used a trio of QBs in Louisville transfer Harrison Bailey, redshirt sophomore Aidan Warner and freshman Trammel Jones. Warner is the lone of the three to play last season for Florida, starting in the 49-17 loss at Texas in replacement of Lagway. Napier was complimentary of him.
“I thought Aiden did a lot of good things,” Napier said. “I do think that we’ve got some legit rushers on defense, and I think that it was very competitive relative to protecting the quarterback, affecting the quarterback.”
Florida football’s linebackers and cornerbacks stepping up
With the loss of Shemar James, UF’s linebacker core is younger this season. A lot will be asked of Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles – both sophomores.
Napier believes they’ll be up to the challenge and said the group had an impressive day.
“Aaron Chiles had some great physical plays. Myles Graham. Ty Jackson continues to flash. We get Pup (Grayson Howard) back. He’s going to eventually be back.,” Napier said. “We consider that one of the better groups in the country, in my opinion, at that position.”
He offered similar praise for the secondary, calling the unit special. He also shouted out Cormani McClain for his continued growth.
“I think you get comfortable if you got Bryce [Thornton] out there, when you got Sharif [Denson] and Aaron [Gates],” Napier said. “Obviously, Aaron and Bryce and Jordan played a ton together, and then Shariff. There’s a comfort. I think continuity is a big deal.”
Billy Napier shouts out Gators basketball
It isn’t often that Napier and the Gators are No. 2 in the athletic program hierarchy, but that’s where we find ourselves thanks to the magical run by Todd Golden and the Florida basketball team. Napier shouted out Golden and the team to begin the press conference.
“Man, they’re a fun group to watch, and they have a unique team chemistry,” Napier said. “Togetherness, it just jumps off the screen.”
The coach then said he’s traveling to San Antonio this weekend to see UF battle Auburn in the Final Four. He looks forward to seeing Walter Clayton Jr. and said he appreciates his poise as a competitor, especially in how he navigates the game.
“He’s kind of really come into his own in my opinion as a competitor, and you can’t help but respect it,” Napier said. “It’s one thing to be a productive player, score a bunch. It’s another thing to make those shots when it counts.”
That winning mentality has carried into the athletic department, which Napier thinks is what makes the spring semester so exciting.
“Somebody is competing for an SEC Championship and a National Championship, and oftentimes it’s multiple teams,” Napier said. “It’s great to see that the basketball program has made, and even our women’s team has created some momentum for themselves here.”
Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: DJ Lagway’s update and Final Four: What Florida football coach Billy Napier said after first scrimmage
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
