GAINESVILLE — Injured Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “giving it his best shot,” coach Billy Napier said, to play during the Gators’ visit to the University of Texas in the 19-year-old’s home state.
Lagway practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, coach Billy Napier said, as the Gators’ true freshman recovers from a left hamstring injury sustained during the second quarter of a 34-20 loss to Georgia Nov. 2 in Jacksonville.
Napier did not sound overly optimistic Lagway would return from the Grade 2 strain in time to face the nation’s top-ranked defense, positioning third-string walk-on quarterback Aidan Warner to make his first college start.
“He’s trying. He’s a competitor,” Napier said of Lagway. “He’s going back to his home state. He wants to try to find a pathway to make this work. It’s touch and go.
“The guy’s giving it his best shot.”
If Warner, a former Winter Park High standout and Yale transfer, gets the nod, he will operate an offense missing some key components. This potentially includes leading receiver Elijah Badger, who is listed as questionable on the SEC’s first availability report of the week.
Badger’s absence would leave the Gators without a battle-tested receiver other than Wisconsin transfer Chimere Dike, whose 23 catches for 438 yards are second to Badger’s 24 grabs for 560 yards.
Sophomore Tre Wilson, third on the team with 19 receptions for 266 yards, already is out, following season-ending hip surgery this week.
Napier said has a congenital issue that ultimately required surgery after Wilson played four of eight games for the Gators (4-4, 2-3 SEC). Following a Week 2 win against Samford, featuring an 85-yard touchdown, Wilson missed the next three games, but returned Oct. 12 at Tennessee and faced Kentucky Oct. 19, catching 6 passes for 75 yards in the two games.
“We exhausted all resources,” Napier said. “We made the best decision for his long-term career.”
Sophomore Aidan Mizell, a former standout at Orlando Boone, gives UF another option after a career-high 66 receiving yards on 4 catches against Georgia.
Meanwhile, leading rusher Montrell Johnson Jr. is listed as questionable and on track to miss his third straight game after he was injured during an Oct. 12 overtime loss at Tennessee, where he rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries. Sophomore backup Treyaun Webb is out for the fifth straight game.
All eyes, though, are on Lagway’s recovery timeline. A return at Texas is unlikely, but Napier said Monday the injury was “less significant” than feared after Lagway was carted off the field against Georgia after he fell the ground grabbing his left hamstring after a 3-yard run.
UF hosts No. 15 LSU Oct. 16 and No. 16 Ole Miss Nov. 23 before facing Florida State Nov. 30 in Tallahassee.
Asked what Lagway did at Wednesday’s practice, Napier said, “it’s a very controlled environment.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
