Florida QB DJ Lagway carted off with left leg injury vs. No. 2 Georgia

Florida QB DJ Lagway was carried to a waiting cart after suffering an apparent left hamstring injury in the second quarter of the Gators’ game vs. No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.

Lagway the injury happened as Lagway scrambled and fell forward. As soon as he hit the ground, Lagway grabbed the back of his left thigh. After trainers attended to him, Lagway was carried to the cart and did not put any weight on his leg.

Lagway, a freshman, opened the season as Florida’s No. 2 QB behind Graham Mertz. But Mertz suffered a concussion in the first game of the season and is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Florida’s overtime loss to Tennessee on Oct. 14.

Lagway signed with Florida this offseason as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country according to Rivals.

Florida was leading 10-3 at the time of Lagway’s injury. He was replaced by Yale transfer Aidan Warner. The Florida native redshirted with the Bulldogs in 2023 before transferring Florida and joining the team as a walk-on.

If Lagway’s injury is serious — and it sure looked like it could be — Florida’s chances of getting to a bowl game are severely hindered. Georgia is the first of four consecutive ranked opponents the Gators (4-3) face in November. After Georgia, Florida visits No. 6 Texas and plays No. 16 LSU and No. 19 Ole Miss. Even if Florida beats Florida State to end the season, the Gators need a win over one of those four teams to get to a bowl game.

A postseason berth would be big for coach Billy Napier. His job status has been in question as Florida started the season 1-2. The Gators have lost seven games in each of his first two seasons in Gainesville after he was hired from Louisiana following the 2021 season.