GAINESVILLE, Fla.– In the wake of Billy Napier’s firing, questions arose about which players on the Florida Gators could test the waters in the NCAA Transfer Portal at the end of the season, having to wait until the new coach is hired due to new rules.
On Monday, quarterback DJ Lagway and linebacker Myles Graham each addressed their future with the program.
“I’m a Florida Gator, man,” Lagway said. “I’m focused right now, my biggest focus right now is these five games and to continue to better my craft and continue to develop as a player.”
Graham echoed Lagway’s sentiment.
“I’m a gator, and I’m just focused on rallying these guys for these last five games and just keep rolling,” Graham said, also saying he had no plans to transfer.
Florida Gators sophomore linebacker Myles Graham has emerged as a vocal leader this season. / Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI
Lagway and Graham were the ultimate Napier recruits with Lagway, a former five-star in the class of 2023, the face of Napier’s program and Graham, Florida’s first commit in the same class, emerging as the leader of the Gators’ defense this season.
“It’s been hard, for sure. Coach Billy Napier, he recruited me here. I’m forever thankful for him,” Lagway said. “My family’s forever thankful for him. But at the end of the day, we still got to continue to get better. Me, personally, I got to continue to take each and every day as another day to improve at my craft and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Graham, a legacy recruit, emphasized that despite the circumstances, he is still living out his dreams.
“This is what I prayed for, and I’m extremely excited to keep fighting with my guys,” he said. “I give them five more opportunities to play the game I love and with my brothers. So that means a lot to me.”
With five games left on the season, Florida is turning to receivers coach Billy Gonzales as the interim with Ryan O’Hara calling plays, Gonzales confirmed on Monday. Gonzales pointed to Lagway and Graham as major leaders moving forward as the Gators enter the post-Napier era.
“Again, we’ve met with the leadership committee and they do a fantastic job,” Gonzales said. “One of the things we talked about was, a question that was raised and asked was, who do we need to make sure we keep an eye on, whether it’s the freshmen, the sophomores, one of the older players. No, Coach, it’s the entire team. It’s everybody. We’re in this together.”
Florida is currently on a bye week and will face Georgia on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville.