Florida’s DJ Lagway Jokes He Doesn’t ‘Have a Prosthetic Arm,’ Downplays Injury Issues

Florida Gators fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

After an offseason of speculation about his health, quarterback DJ Lagway joked with reporters Wednesday and was optimistic about his status moving forward.

“I don’t have a prosthetic arm,” he said while laughing. “I’m feeling great. Training’s been amazing. I’m actually getting better at throwing the ball. I’ve been working on mechanics that’s going to help my accuracy this year, help my decision making. It’s been great.”

Cam Parker of Sports Illustrated noted Lagway was “extremely limited for the entirety of spring camp with multiple injury issues” including shoulder and hamstring concerns and a reported hernia.

He suffered the hamstring injury during the team’s loss to Georgia in November and was limited for the remainder of the 2024 campaign.

Yet Lagway denied he underwent any surgery over the offseason and was confident he will be able to make all the throws asked of him during the season. That is notable because he was limited to handoffs in the spring game and didn’t participate in the viewing periods of spring camp.

Lagway flashed his potential as a freshman last season while completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions and adding 101 yards on the ground.

He helped turn the team’s season around with victories over LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State down the stretch before a Gasparilla Bowl win over Tulane. 

As he enters his sophomore season, expectations are high for Florida once again in large part because of Lagway’s presence under center. If he can remain healthy and take strides after his freshman season, the Gators could be a threat in the SEC.

Having him healthy early in the season will be key because Florida plays LSU, Miami and Texas during its first five games.