Gators 2025 Spring Positional Outlook: Quarterback

Gators Illustrated is previewing each position on Florida's roster during the 2025 offseason as spring camp approaches. Starting things off are the quarterbacks.

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws the ball against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- A new season approaches, the Florida Gators will look to breakout in head coach Billy Napier's fourth year after a strong finish to the 2024 campaign.

Familiar faces return, but the Gators saw usual roster attrition in the offseason with 19 total departures from last season, 13 of which were on scholarship, via the NCAA Transfer Portal and more from exhausting their collegiate eligibilities.

As a result, the Gators added 31 total players with a 26-signee high school class and a five-signee transfer portal class.

Gators Illustrated is breaking down each position on Florida's roster as the team approaches spring training camp with a review of each unit's 2024 performances and an outlook on the 2025 season and will revisit each position group with a final depth chart prediction during fall camp.

First up are the quarterbacks, where the Gators return one of the top rising sophomores and where Florida added two new faces to the room.

Quick Review

Florida went from having one of the deepest quarterback rooms at the beginning of the year with incumbent veteran starter Graham Mertz, five-star freshman backup DJ Lagway and third-string transfer Clay Millen.

However, injuries took a massive bite with Mertz (concussion, ACL) and Lagway (hamstring) both going down with injuries, leaving the offense in the hands of walk-on Aidan Warner, who struggled in a game of relief and one start.

That being said, with Lagway at the helm of the offense, the Gators saw decent offensive success. Lagway finished the year 6-1 as the starter with the only loss being the Georgia game he didn't finish due to injury.

He finished the year with 1,915 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading Florida on a four-game winning streak to end the year with two ranked wins, a win over rival FSU and a bowl win over Tulane.

Now, with Lagway healthy and stronger depth behind him, Florida's offense could be poised for a stronger season in 2025.

Out and In

Scholarship players only

• Out: Graham Mertz (Graduation)
• In: Harrison Bailey (Transfer), Tramell Jones Jr. (Freshman)

Into 2025

Answering the depth problems from last season, the Gators added two quarterbacks to its roster in veteran backup Harrison Bailey and four-star high school recruit Tramell Jones Jr. to sit behind Lagway.

Bailey, a longtime backup with stints at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville, hasn't had much experience as a starter, but his most-recent outing shows he's capable of taking over an offense when needed. In Louisville's Sun Bowl win over Washington, he threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns and no intereptions while completing 64 percent of his passes.

Although still new to the team, head coach Billy Napier praised his new QB2 for his performance over the offseason.

"I've been very impressed with Harrison just in the first few sessions," he said in December. "I think we had a gap in there, you know, and I think it was challenging to add players to the team given DJ and the success he was having as a rookie. But yeah, I think Harrison, that was a big deal to get a guy who's played in the SEC, who's prepared as the backup or a starter for a long time. A proven, good passer, accurate passer."

Behind Bailey is Jones Jr., a four-star high school signee out of nearby Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin. Although a talented prospect, Jones Jr. spent much of his senior season injured. Although he could be Florida's quarterback of the future after Lagway, most of spring camp will be used to getting him acclimated and fully rehabilitated.

Worst-case scenario for if Jones Jr. won't be fully ready will be Lagway's backup from 2024 in Aidan Warner, who struggled but at least has the experience, and Clay Millen, a veteran with starting experience from his stint at Colorado State.

Seeing any of these guys on the field, though, is contingent on Lagway's health after a hamstring injury last season. Although expected to finally be fully healthy, he'll now be expected to take a big jump in production after his strong freshman campaign.

The Gators made moves to build the offensive around Lagway by recruiting a strong high school freshman class at receiver, keeping star receiver Eugene Wilson III on the team, keeping the bulk of its running back production on the roster and returning four of its five starters on last year's offensive line.

The hope for 2025 will always be for Lagway to remain healthy and take a big jump forward after his freshman campaign, but the Gators can sleep better knowing there's a deeper room behind him.

Way Too Early Depth Chart Projection 

1. DJ Lagway (So.)
2. Harrison Bailey (R-Sr.)
3. Tramell Jones Jr. (Fr.)

Reserves: Clay Millen (R-Sr.), Aidan Warner (R-So.)*, Paul Kessler (R-Fr.)*, Aaron Williams (R-Fr.)*, Lawrence Wright IV (R-Fr.)*

*Indicates walk-on status