Scouting Report: Florida

The bye week is over and Texas will be back in action on Saturday when they host Florida. The Gators (4-4) are coming off a 34-20 loss to Georgia where several key players exited with injury. Head coach Billy Napier has had a rough tenure in Gainesville, but the athletic department did realize a statement on Thursday morning saying Napier would return for a fourth season in 2025.

Offense

Florida started the year with Graham Mertz at quarterback. In October, Mertz suffered a torn ACL and 5-star freshman DJ Lagway took over. Lagway has shown a lot of potential but suffered a hamstring injury against Georgia, leading to him being carted off the field. He was listed as questionable on Wednesday’s availability report. If Lagway is unable to go, Billy Napier will be forced to turn to third-string walk-on QB Aidan Warner, who is 9 for 25 on the season with 1 interception.

If Warner is the starting QB, expect a heavy dose of the Florida running game. Leading rusher Montrell Johnson (373 rushing yards and 4 TD’s) is listed as questionable heading into Saturday. True freshman Jadan Baugh (323 rushing yards and 5 TD’s) would be in line for a much bigger role if Johnson is unable to play.

Sticking with the injury theme, top receiver Eugene Wilson III was ruled out for the season earlier in the week. Elijhah Badger, who leads the team in receptions (24) and yards (560) is another player listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.

The Florida offensive line ranks in the middle of the pack in the SEC. Alabama transfer Damieon George Jr., who starts at guard, was another Gator listed as questionable on Wednesday’s availability report. George and center Jake Slaughter are the two players to watch up front.

Defense

The Florida defense was shredded in the season opener against Miami and again two weeks later against Texas A&M. Since then, the Gators have cleaned up a lot of issues and are playing much better despite missing several key contributors due to injury.

DT Desmond Watson will be easy to spot on the field as the big man checks in at 450 pounds. Edge Tyreak Sapp leads the team in sacks with 3.5. The Gators as a team only have 19 sacks on the season.

The injury bug has hit the secondary hard and starting CB Dijon Johnson being questionable could make the situation even worse. Florida ranks 56th nationally in opponent passer rating, meaning the Longhorns should be able to find success through the air. Tackling has also been a big issue at corner and safety.

Final Thoughts

The injury report is a mile long for Florida right now. With Texas coming off a bye week, the Longhorns appear to be catching the Gators at a great time. If DJ Lagway is unable to play, it’s hard to imagine Florida putting up enough points to make it a competitive 4 quarter-game. For Texas, the Longhorns can not continue to turn the football over at the rates they did against Georgia and Vanderbilt. Quinn Ewers has thrown an interception in 4 straight games, a trend that must stop if the Longhorns want to get back on track offensively.

If Texas protects the football and plays the level of defense they’ve shown all year, the Longhorns should secure their 8th win of the year.