3 Florida Gators Offensive Players to Watch vs. Texas A&M

The Florida Gators will be rolling out a unique quarterback aproach in Week 3 against the Texas A&M Aggies, and if it succeeds, the visiting squad could be in for a long day.

Sep 7, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws the ball against the Samford Bulldogs during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

When the Texas A&M Aggies take the field for Week 3 — their first road game — they'll be put to the test.

The perfect world they had envisioned where they'd be a 2-0 team with wins over Notre Dame and McNeese State is no longer viable. They did bounce back from a rough Week 1 with a 52-10 victory in Week 2, but as they look for more momentum, the Florida Gators will be looking for the same.

Coach Billy Napier and company had their share of struggles in Game 1, dropping a blowout contest to the Now No. 10-ranked-Miami Hurricanes, but handled business at home in a non-conference game. Their reward? A third straight contest at The Swamp.

As such, the Aggies will enter a hostile environment for their first conference matchup of the season, and while they aren't letting it affect their mindset, it won't be a cake walk, either.

That being said, here are three offensive names to watch from Florida ahead of Week 3.

Graham Mertz & D.J. Lagway, Quarterback(s)

Mertz, the Gators' named starter, played just two full quarters for Florida before he was sidelined with a concussion. He missed last week against Samford, but is likely to return to the lineup against the Aggies, in an interesting way.

Napier fielded a question about Gators backup D.J. Lagway — who took snaps in Mertz's place — and explained that his game plan moving forward included both quarterbacks.

"Our intention the entire time has been to play DJ in every game," Napier said. "Obviously, he gets a little bit more experienced each week ... he's ready to do what we intend to do with him going forward. There's no doubt both these guys will make us harder to defend."

Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) throws during morning practice at Sanders Practice Field in Gainesville, / Alan Youngblood / USA TODAY NETWORK

Whatever the Gators' scheme looks like, the Aggies will be put to the test trying to defend it. And if they can't figure it out, it could be a long day for them.

Montrell Johnson, Running Back

With the passing-heavy offense that Florida had a season ago, Johnson wasn't who it relied on most of the time, but that didn't make him any less of an offensive weapon. This year, that's remained the case. Through two games, the running back has totaled 173 yards on just under 30 carries. He's been a nice complement for Lagway, and with the dual-quarterbacks at play, he could provide a third option to help keep the Aggies' defense on its toes.

Eugene Wilson III, Wide Reciever

After losing Ricky Pearsall Jr. to the draft, the Gators had to look elsewhere for the bulk of their receiving offense. Luckily for them, Wilson III stepped up to the task. He hasn't scored a touchdown, yet, but he leads the team both receptions and receiving yards. With Mertz back in the lineup, he could be due for his first score of the year, which makes him a big player of interest for the Aggies.