Joel Klatt reveals he initially ranked Florida higher in preseason top 25
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Joel Klatt initially had Florida at No. 10 in his top 25. But DJ Lagway’s injury concerns have him giving things another look.
“This DJ Lagway injury-prone offseason for Billy Napier have me concerned,” Klatt said on his podcast. “They went 8-5 a year ago (and) won their final four … They had it going a little bit, but then all of a sudden you look up and it’s like, well, if Lagway’s not healthy, then I don’t love what they’re doing.”
Lagway didn’t practice with the Gators during spring as he was working his way back from a shoulder injury. That was after getting surgery to repair a sports hernia. And in 2024, he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him briefly. Right now, he is dealing with a calf injury that has limited his action in fall camp.
For that reason, Klatt now has the Gators at No. 14, but that’s contingent on whether Lagway can get fully healthy and stay that way. That will be important as Florida faces a treacherous schedule.
“If Lagway is out there like he was a year ago, they’re a top 10 team that went 6-1 last year when he started football games,” Klatt said. “If Lagway’s healthy, top 10 team. “If he’s not, the schedule is brutal.
“That’s the bottom line with Florida. They’ve got a four-game stretch where if Lagway’s healthy for this four-game stretch in September and October, they’ve got a chance. But if not, yikes, they might lose all four of these at LSU, at Miami, Texas at home, at (Texas) A&M. Then later in the year, they still have Georgia, at Ole Miss, and Tennessee.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
