Lagway

[Rock Gator]

Remember the Tebow packages that Meyer worked in around Chris Leak? Of course you do. 

I'm here to say that if Napier doesn't work Lagway in for some drives in the Samford and UCF games, maybe Miss State, he'll be unemployed by Halloween. Or should be. Big time boosters are fans just like us and are tiring of the excuses and incoherent coach speak. There's not a lot else on that schedule that says "play the freshman" to a guy who's definitely been playing with scared money. But ALL of the fans are going to want to see DJ Lagway, ALL of them.

Then, when we're on that annual 5 or more game skid to finish the season, you need to also get him in the game. And not just for garbage time, because it's all going to be garbage time from the trip to Jax all the way to another season without a bowl game.

I hope I'm wrong on that last part, but I'm probably not.

RG

[Mojave Gator]

We had competent coaching when Tebow was here.

[wahhappen]

I’m not sure if everyone saw the promo, but it’s unfinished business for Graham Mertz and Deej better get comfortable holding a clipboard for the next 12 games. Mertz had the opportunity to turn pro or go to a perennial playoff contender, but chose to come back to UF. It’s wheels up in 2024 now that #7 is out of the way.

[g8rfan]

Yeah Lagway isn’t going to play. He’ll hit the portal after next season .You heard it here first.

[gatordoll]

Dec 23, 2023 23:54:49 GMT -5 g8rfan said:

Yeah Lagway isn’t going to play. He’ll hit the portal after next season .You heard it here first.

I've been thinking the same thing. Lagway is a solid guy who doesn't want to desert the teammates he helped recruit. But by the end of next year he will have a good reason to bolt if he doesn't get some playing time in ala Leak and Tebow

[g8rfan]

Nothing I’ve seen from Napier gives me any hope that he has the ability or the desire to do anything other than what he does. He’s not the most creative fella.

[Rock Gator]

So y'all are saying there's a chance???!!!

[wahhappen]

I think we might see him in the portal after experiencing a 10-7 Orange and Blue game.

[tapsgator]

Here's the seeds of the transfer being planted:

ESPN says play him:

gatorswire.usatoday.com/2023/12/27/florida-football-dj-lagway-espn-quarterback-fit/

Billy says, yeah maybe he'll get some snaps but, Gutsy Graham the Checkdown man will be his mentor.


x.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/1739668087136211404?s=20


Now I don't have access to the article, but once again I find myself asking is Napier actually stupid enough that he believes that Graham Mertz had an NFL or even vertical transfer option or does he think the fanbase is stupid enough to buy that GGTCM is coming back for "unfinished business" and choosing the Gators over the many many many options that throwing underneath prevent defenses provides? A friend of mine I think nailed it when he said "he's stupid to the point of delusion and thinks that everybody else operates at the same mental level." I paraphrased and cleaned up the language but he's right.

[g8rfan]

He has to play Lagway. Even if it’s just situational he needs to be involved from Day 1. For better or worse college football is a different game now. There’s no reason to try to save his redshirt because we’re not going to get “extra” miles out of a kid like this. Barring injury he’s here for 3 years tops. And he’ll be in the portal if he doesn’t play. He needs to see the field early and often to get live reps under his belt. And good luck getting another blue chip QB to commit with a 5 star riding the bench behind Mertz. Not happening these days. The days of the understudy are all but dead especially when you’re 5-7.. We are damn lucky he didn’t flip.

[gatordoll]

When you get NIL money do you sign a contract saying you cannot transfer after one or two year(s) or else you lose some $$? If college football is becoming more like a pro sport I would think there would be some guarantees in these negotiations.

[tapsgator]

Dec 29, 2023 2:20:57 GMT -5 gatordoll said:

When you get NIL money do you sign a contract saying you cannot transfer after one or two year(s) or else you lose some $$? If college football is becoming more like a pro sport I would think there would be some guarantees in these negotiations.

I believe that all NIL deals are 4 year (or whatever eligibility they have left) deals and entering the portal voids any remaining money. You cannot contract around the law and any provision that contradicts any publicly enforceable ordinance is void on its face. If there’s enough language that contradicts controlling law (of any kind) the entire contract can be voided. Any ambiguity is construed in favor of non-drafting party which is the player. So, nobody remotely knowledgeable would try to put any kind of restriction on transferring (which is a players right in college versus a professional league) into their agreement.

Cliffs without the nerdy stuff which was me working through why it wouldn’t work: can’t do it in college but you can in the nfl (where everybody does). Please don’t quote that because I’ll want to punch myself in the face for being a law dork.

[tapsgator]

collegefootballnetwork.com/sec-qb-rankings-2023/

That’s the problem in a nutshell right there.
Completing 72% of his passes in his best year ever GGTCDM rocketed all the way up to 10th in the SEC. As I watch bowl season and games consistently they are consistentlybeing determined by a QBs ability to make plays even where he doesn’t have a shitty supporting cast made shittier by losses or an ass Defense led by the male version of Veruca Salt in Willie wonka. With that here is a list of guys that GGTCDM lacks the talent to be as good as:

Beck, Milroe, Ewers, Dart, Arnold, Nico I. These are no brainers

Rogers, vandagriff, Weigman/henderson, and whoever wins the lsu job are probables. Carolina flip a coin.

This isn’t a slam at mertz, as I’ve said repeatedly last year he showed a lot more than we had any right to expect. But he didn’t make a single game winning play unless you could throwing it behind the line on 4&10 and Etienne making a helluva block (ironic isn’t it?) or a ball bouncing to Wilson when it just as easily could have bounced for an INT against SC. He just lacks the capacity to do better. He physically can’t.

Lagway on the other hand has the tools to beat every one of them except maybe the first 2-3. So while I get the sentiment of giving him a special package (that’s what she said) it’s not enough because you know what Napier is hearing his “put him in on fake punts and FGs or maybe go crazy and have him be the holder.” They NEED to have a real QB competition and play him for at least 2-4 series every game to start, and when he flashes give him the job. We won’t do that but it’s what needs to happen otherwise we’re just preparing him for his next stop.

Also KJ Jefferson is trending to UCF he is 6’3 235 and a dual threat. DJ is 6’2 225 dual threat. Jefferson would be the perfect mentor (kinda like Kiffin would be the perfect coach) to mentor Lagway, you could call the exact same game, and you can’t tell me we couldn’t have beat out UCF if we tried. Oh well. Wake me up when it’s over.

[g8rfan]

Yeah I thought we should have pressed for Jefferson but I abandoned the thought as soon as I had it because we’re too busy loading up on G5 guys.