Hey folks, Has anyone heard whether DJ is practicing at or closer to full speed? Not an original idea, but his mobility (both as a threat and in actuality) is a key to our offense this weekend. I'd especially like him to truck that transfer traitor on Ole'. Thanks
Did you notice how mobile he was against LSU? I would not expect anything to change for this year. If you read about hamstring injuries, you will learn they don’t just go away. Some players are plagued by them, and there's no rhyme or reason to them. I am not clued in to the extent of DJ's injury. I'm just thankful he was able to go in and stay in! Rest is the best healing agent, and I just hope he can play without further injury. What a special talent!
One thing that is remarkable is that I don’t think Lagway got sacked once. And it wasn’t entirely from lack of pressure. He moved well when he had to (and also made some quick decisions).
DJ's movement in the pocket: climbing the pocket dodging defenders with a bum hamstring all as a true freshman This game will be on his NFL scouting tape. Remarkable his poise considering his age. I will not pump the brakes - he has a path to becoming one of the greats to play for Florida.
His being forced to play in the pocket just improved his skill set. He is a better player for being saddled with this. A running QB who takes the extra second in the pocket to push the ball down field is a luxury. That extra second turns a nice 12 yard run into a 35 yard completion. Kid is very mature. Very smart and physically gifted. If he plays every game the next two seasons, if Billy uses him properly and IF he stays at UF, he will go down as a top 3 QB here. Some big If's, but he seems to love being a Gator
Richardson was maybe the most physically gifted QB in NCAA history. His combination of physical tools was just mind boggling. He still had some trouble finding the right places to go with the ball. DJ looks to have best arm we’ve seen in a long time, up there with Grossman or maybe exceeding him. He can throw a laser with just flicking his wrist. And his deep ball accuracy is almost as remarkable. He is still good for an INT or two per game from ill advised throws. If he can clean those up, his star will indeed be assured.
DJ loves his arm, sometimes too much, but I'll live with it. I too, love DJ's arm. Chris Leak was probably the most advanced passer as a true freshman for Florida and DJ might already have surpassed him (freshman year eye test, not stats)
He stated in the press conference that he learned how to work as a pocket passer in the weeks after the injury. This speaks volumes about his coachability and maturity. It also indicates that there is a coach on the staff that was able to do the coaching. He didn't indicate who did the coaching. Clearly, Lagway has a huge upside. Hopefully, the coaching will improve, as well. Getting a fast passed offense that takes advantage f Lagway's skills and Florida high school player speed would be a wonderful thing.
Many of the slingers throw a lot of INTs! See Grossman, Favre etc. I think Lagway is a different animal. He's thrown a few picks this year but I believe it's more because he's still a freshman playing against top competition. He's been thrust into playing and while making a mistake here and there, he hasn't let it bother him and is growing as an SEC quarterback! I do think he'll improve his TD to INT ratio next year.
What we saw from DJ this past weekend has finally got me excited for Gator football again. He seems like the real deal. We should enjoy the many highs and not get too emotional with the few lows.
I just hope the DJ is able to scramble and run just ONE time this weekend, preferably on one of our first drives. I don't know his exact injury status, but I'm assuming he won't be able to do it all game... However, if he can do it once, early on, it will at least make Ole Miss's Defense have to think about it for the rest of the game.
DJ is a much better passer than Leak was. He is hitting the receivers in stride, which Chris struggled with.