The Florida Gators wrapped up spring ball last weekend, with Team Blue besting Team Orange, 19-17, in their annual spring game. Fifth-year senior quarterback Graham Mertz led Team Blue down the field, with junior kicker Trey Smack nailing a 37-yard field goal to give them a win. Mertz finished the afternoon going 15-of-27 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and a pick. Meanwhile, highly-touted freshman phenom and dual-threat quarterback DJ Lagway showcased his potential, going 12-for-21 for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception for Team Orange.
DJ Lagway and Graham Mertz are key players in the Florida Gators’ future offensive strategy. However, on Thursday, the future of the offensive took a hit, with a four-star recruit decommitting from the program. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, interior offensive lineman Peyton Joseph will not head to Gainesville to play for the Gators. He committed to head coach Billy Napier in February and holds nearly 50 offers.
IOL Peyton Joseph: Reopens Commitment
Interior offensive lineman Peyton Joseph, who had initially committed to the Florida Gators at the beginning of 2024, will reopen his recruiting and no longer play for coach Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. Joseph’s decommitment is a significant development as Joseph, the sixth-rated interior offensive lineman in the class of 2025 per 247Sports, was one of the best recruits heading to Gainsville, Florida. He plays prep football at Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia.
BREAKING: Four-Star IOL Peyton Joseph has Decommitted from Florida, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’4 315 IOL from Fort Valley, GA had been Committed to the Gators since February
Holds a total of 49 Offershttps://t.co/BlPGSHFxlM pic.twitter.com/D8WZ0770m5
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 18, 2024
Joseph holds offers from the Florida Gators, Cincinnati Bearcats, Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Atlantic Owls, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, and Texas Longhorns. He also holds an offer from his hometown school and SEC juggernaut, the Georgia Bulldogs.
Florida Gators: Entering Third-Year of Billy Napier Era
Next fall will mark the third year with head coach Billy Napier patrolling the sidelines for the Florida Gators. Napier previously coached at Louisiana, going 33-5 across his final three seasons before taking the Florida job. However, the Gators have struggled under Napier, going 11-14 in his first two years.
Florida has posted middling team numbers during that span. Offensively, they have yet to score 30 points per game in any year under Napier. The defense has also been an issue for the Gators since the 2022 season. They surrendered 27.6 points per game last season, the 78th-worst mark in the nation. Only Arkansas, LSU, and Vanderbilt among SEC teams allowed more points per game. Opposing backfields averaged 155.6 rushing yards per game on 4.8 yards per attempt, bottom three marks within the SEC.
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