Florida faces DJ Lagway harm concern forward of playoff run

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It doesn’t matter the way it occurred, solely that it did. And that the long- and short-term future for one in all faculty soccer’s high younger gamers is now in query.

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is rapidly turning into Mr. Glass.

Shoulder, hamstring and core accidents in his first 12 months in Gainesville, and now a calf harm in fall camp.

“I’m not an injury-prone man,” Lagway stated final month throughout SEC media days.

Then a left calf pressure arrived earlier than the beginning of fall camp, and now the inevitable is right here: when and the way may the glass crack once more?

Lagway missed time or did not take part full-go all through your entire offseason, a number of accidents not solely stalling his growth - but in addition leaving the Gators' 2025 resurgence in query. In a single quick 12 months, Lagway's harm timeline has moved from unfortunate to unnerving.

Whether or not it’s elevated stage of competitors, depth of coaching or simply plain dangerous luck, 4 accidents (two comparatively severe) earlier than the beginning of Lagway’s second season is trigger for concern. Extra problematic: it’s not a protracted or tough a leap from calf pressure to a lot larger drawback.

Particularly since we’ve seen it of late among the many best athletes in sports activities.

Aaron Rodgers and Tyrese Halliburton handled calf strains within the final two years, and each strains preceded season-ending Achilles accidents. Kevin Durant's Achilles harm in 2019 began with a calf pressure, too.

However earlier than we go down that rabbit gap and scuttle the season for a rising star quarterback and a workforce with School Soccer Playoff hopes, earlier than we make an excessive amount of of Lagway sporting a compression wrap on his left calf in apply, perhaps he is not Mr. Glass in any respect.

Possibly he simply bought dinged extra instances than most.

“The entire harm factor, for probably the most half, is comparatively new for me,” Lagway stated final month, and he hasn’t spoke to media since. “I really feel higher than I ever have proper now.”

It was final month when Lagway admitted to USA TODAY Sports activities that the throwing shoulder harm didn’t happen throughout his breakout freshman season as most believed, however that it was one thing he handled your entire season.

A season through which he received each recreation he began and completed.

His 6-1 document total as a starter included a lone loss to Georgia, the place he left late within the second quarter with a hamstring harm — with the Gators main 10-3. Aside from that, Lagway's freshman season (even with modest numbers) was high-level manufacturing within the nation's most tough convention.

He has had soreness within the shoulder since highschool, and has sometimes used rehabilitation as a substitute of surgical procedure to beat ache and stiffness. The shoulder harm (and the core harm) compelled him to overlook throwing in spring apply.

Then the calf harm confirmed up earlier than fall camp, and regardless of the soreness, Lagway has been throwing and appears sharper than ever. The one query now: will the calf maintain up?

“The man’s been working exhausting all summer time,” Florida coach Billy Napier stated earlier this week. “Actually, hopefully, he’ll be capable to do increasingly more as we go day-to-day.”

That’s not precisely a ringing endorsement, nevertheless it’s additionally all Napier and Florida have to carry. As a result of with Lagway, Florida is a reliable menace to achieve the School Soccer Playoff.

With out him – and with sixth-year nomad Harrison Bailey or former walk-on Aidan Warner enjoying quarterback – the Gators might have issues reaching bowl eligibility.

Earlier this week, former Alabama coach Nick Saban – talking throughout his Nick’s Child’s Basis occasion – stated 5 groups may win the SEC this season. A type of groups was Florida.

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Even with the uncertainty of Lagway’s well being, or the nation’s hardest schedule. Which, frankly, Napier and the workforce are getting bored with speaking about.

Spot the ball, all of them say now. Doesn’t matter that the schedule consists of video games away from Gainesville towards Georgia, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Mississippi, and residential video games towards Texas and Tennessee, Florida performed the identical schedule final 12 months.

And by the tip of the common season (and with a wholesome Lagway), the Gators have been enjoying in addition to anybody within the SEC.

There’s quite a bit to love about this Florida workforce, one which Napier has patiently and organically constructed via highschool recruiting as a substitute of counting on the crapshoot that's the switch portal. An skilled and deep offensive line, a number of the SEC’s greatest younger talent gamers and a protection that developed final 12 months with Lagway.

Within the six video games Lagway began and accomplished, the Florida protection gave up a median of 13.1 factors per recreation. Within the different seven video games, the Gators gave up a median of 31.5.