Will Florida Stick with DJ Lagway at QB? Gators Interim Addresses Future at Position

DJ Lagway was benched at halftime of the Florida Gators' 38-7 loss to Kentucky.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway was benched against Kentucky after throwing three interceptions in the first half. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida Gators interim head coach Billy Gonzales has made his decision for this week's starting quarterback after DJ Lagway was benched at halftime against Kentucky for Tramell Jones Jr.

Lagway, who has started all nine games for Florida this season and 15 of the last 16 dating back to last season, will remain the team's starter entering the week.

“Right now, my mind is he’s going to take one-reps when we go out to practice today," Gonzales said. "But again, I say competition is great for everybody.”

Lagway was replaced at halftime of Florida's 38-7 loss on Saturday after throwing three interceptions in the first half, marking his third multi-interception game this season. The former five-star has thrown for 1,762 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 64.5 percent of his passes this season.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway has thrown 11 touchdowns this season against 12 interceptions. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Gonzales said the decision to bench Lagway for the first time in his career was his decision.

"I had a chance to talk with him, and I told the staff the same thing, it was my decision to take him out of the game at that point, and we were struggling, he had a tough – but it's not all on him, and I told him that," Gonzales said. " I said, you know, as a coach, it's our responsibility if someone’s struggling, help them out or take them out so they're not put in that position to have to keep fighting through that."

While Lagway enters the week as the starter, Gonzales did not indicate if Florida would have an open competition for the starting position for the final three games of the season, rather saying, "there's competition everywhere, and there should be competition."

In Lagway's place, Jones Jr. went 9-for-17 for 60 yards across three drives, two of which ended in turnovers on downs and one of which ended in a punt.

"I thought he did a fantastic job. That was his first SEC play," Gonzales said. "To get out there and get the chance to take the team, lead the team, a learning experience for him. And just like I said with DJ getting a chance to refocus on the sideline and look and see from a different point of view, I think it's always good. You're going to put yourself in a position to be better by getting reps, and that was his chance to get some reps in a game situation, and it'll continue that way over his time here at the University of Florida."

Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. replaced DJ Lagway against Kentucky. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Another dynamic of a possible quarterback change, whether this week or over the next three, is Jones Jr.'s potential redshirt. Now playing in two games, Jones Jr. can only appear in two of the next three games before burning through a year of eligibility.

Gonzales said Jones Jr.'s redshirt will be "something to monitor" as Florida rounds out the 2025 season with a trip to Ole Miss this week and home games against Tennessee and Florida State - all of which the Gators need to win to reach bowl eligibility.