Billy Napier Built Florida Gators Roster for Long-Term Success - Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway Prove It

Intro the Florida Gator roster is in a much better spot than it was last year you are locked on Gators your daily podcast on the Florida Gators part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hello and welcome back to another episode of lock on Gators part of the lock onast podcast Network your team every day thanks for lock Gator is your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free R this in the podcast and on YouTube Happy Tuesday I am Brandon Olson find me on Twitter wns Brandon today's episode of lockon Gator brought by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $150 in bonus bet any winning $5 bet it's 150 bucks with any winning $5 bet visit fel.com lockon to get started um and I I will say today we're talking about the building blocks which if if you're new here this is going to be a recurring thing that we talk about consistently with lock on Gators I I love the roster building process in every sport really it's incredible to me and and it's just I love it uh and I'm a nerd spoiler alert uh if you've ever listened to me before you know that uh if you've been here for a while if you've been in every day here for a while then you know that the building blocks of a franchise or something that we're really going to talk about or a program here and just a reminder the Building Blocks building blocks we're going to talk about the present and the future the present section you have to be a Bonafide proven good starter okay I want to say that to make sure that we're not like oh well he was decent for a freshman in a rotational role so he's he's he's a present building block um no that's not how it works it's not oh well he was decent as a freshman that means he'll be good he'll develop because we know here realistically not everybody develops the way that you expect them to or at the rate that you expect them to so you have to be a Bonafide proven good starter which obviously can be open to interpretation this is my interpretation of it for the future section is way less open for interpretation it's a consensus Blue Chip recruit with no more than one year in college so if you are a true sophomore or a red shirt freshman you qualify for the future okay I will make an exception if there's like a a true freshman last year played exceptionally well uh but wasn't a blue chip which that's very rare so yeah that that's where we're at starting with quarterback uh the building blocks by the way quarterback wide receiver offensive tackle pass rusher cornerback those are the five the theory being it's Thomas demitro former GM of the Atlanta Falcons longtime GM of the Atlanta Falcons his theory was basically if if you're good at those spots or not his theory but he he executed it well was if you're good at those spots you're probably going to have a good football team and so starting with quarterback the most important position in all sports really present Graham MZ future DJ lagway and I will say this I'll admit I was a little torn on Graham at the beginning because the way that I I fall on gr Merz is that I don't think he's as good as a lot of Florida Gator fans like to say he is I don't think he's as bad as a lot of non Florida Gator fans like to say he is because non Florida Gator fans can't get the Wisconsin games out of his head can't get the Wisconsin Career out of their heads with him and Florida fans completely erased it and they went well we haven't had good quarterback play since Kyle tras so this is amazing both can be true by the way like yeah I think he lands somewhere in the middle I think he's a top 25ish quarterback and the way that I looked at the present standing of if you are a Bonafide proven good starter is I said if you take this player off out of the starting lineup and am I upset in terms of quality of play and the answer is yes I I'd be upset if grem merrs was not the starting quarterback of the Florida Gator so for me grah Merz is a Bonafide proven good starter I don't think he's an elite starter I don't think he's a Heisman candidate I don't think he's a Heisman caliber player I do think though that he is a good starter not average not above average good I think Graham MZ can win you football games and when Graham Merz committed to the Florida Gator in what December January 2023 I remember saying that I think GR Merz will be better at than he was at Wisconsin but I don't think he's necessarily going to be good still and I don't think he's going to go out there and win you football games and here's the thing he did it once last year and proved me wrong that's South Carolina game Graham Merz went out there and quarterbacked you to victory I come from behind Victory late in the game like gr Merz went out there and did that and there were some Lu breaks sure the deflected ball that I think it was Trey Wilson caught I think it was intended for Ricky got tipped and Trey Wilson came and caught it there were some lucky breaks with things like that South Carolina just completely poo pooing on on offense late in the game but like make no mistake Graham Merz went out there like you don't win that game without Graham Merz you don't if if you have an average Quarterback like just college football average Quarterback there you don't win games there without him you don't that South Carolina game so for me gr Merz is a Bonafide proven good starting quarterback at the college football level so gr Merz is your building block of the present right now because again the theory is that you want to have a building block of the present and the future at quarterback receiver offensive tackle pass rusher and cornerback and gr merch is your proven good quarterback for the present and then when you talk about the future which I I got to say every every time I say future I either want to quote future or I want to do the the SpongeBob future thing that that squid word does um so I just had to had to get that one out there but DJ lagway again you need to be a consensus Blue Chip recruit with no more than one year in college when we talk about DJ lagway we're talking about a consensus Blue Chip recruit with zero years in college not just a consensus Blue Chip recruit we're talking about the best quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class we're talking about the number one quarterback from the 2024 recruiting class is a Florida Gator number one Not Just Blue Chip not not bottom of the barrel Blue Chip no the number one the best high school quarterback in the country last last year and I mean High School quarterback best high school quarterback in the country I don't care if you're talking freshman sophomore junior or senior DJ lague was the best quarterback in the nation last year number one he's a florid Gator so yeah I think you could say you have your future building block at quarterback not just for 2024 not just for 2025 2026 as well at the absolute minimum assuming he doesn't hit the transfer portal which it's 2024 in college football literally Anything Could Happen these kids are are freaking insane nowadays um but as far as building block at the most important position because here's the other thing also you could have a building block at every other position if you don't have it at quarterback you're not g to be a good football team more likely than not so Florida you have it at the most important position here you've got your building block and that's something that I think every Florida Gator fan should be happy about and I don't care how you feel about Graham Ms you could disagree that he's a Bonafide proven good starter you could disagree that I was on the fence about it but for me gr Merz present DJ lagway future undeniable future starting quarterback or or or future building block at quarterback DJ lagway and I mean just off the off the start here at quarterback again the most important position in all of sports every single sport nothing's more important than a good quarterback um basketball you could good point guard short good small forward short like you can kind of dissect it because there's so many guys that can do different things baseball starting pitcher whatever number three hitter four hitter can't like they won't they can't go win you Games Week in week out game in game out a starting quarterback a good quality starting quarterback can do that and I don't think gr merrs can shoulder the load every single week and then lead your offense every single week with with a high octane high scoring Affair and and come from behind or whatever it is but he can do that every now and then and he won't lose you games like like he can win you football games throwing the football Bonafide proven good starting quarterback we are about to talk about the wide receiver and offensive tackle spots which those are the final two spots on offense and we'll WP up with the defense but first we're going to get a quick word from FanDuel FanDuel it is winner take all time in the NBA go Nicks baby uh sorry par and NHL which sorry leavs that was brutal the other day uh seven straight game seven losses yikes and fand's giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $ five bet Celtics money line game one maybe that's 150 bucks to bid on spreads money lines player props and more visit fanduel.com locked on and make every playoff shot count FanDuel is America's number one sports book thanks for Mak lock on Gator your Lock On Gator first listen of the day every day we are available daily and fre R listen the podcast and on YouTube and also if you want to get the evaluation of I think all these players that we're talking about today except maybe two maybe three uh go join the lockon gator insiders group if you want to it's join sub tex.com lockon Gators we've got a ton done we've got a lot more coming as well uh but at receiver the Florida Gators are in an interesting spot here because I think when you look at the present and the future for the Florida Gator have receiver remember present Bonafide proven good starter future consensus Blue Chip recruit at that position with less than a year in college or no more than a year in college presid Trey Wilson true freshman All-American I mean just Elite freshman season future Trey Wilson consensus blue chip recruit last year I believe he was uh I don't think he was a Five Star Plus but he's a five star I think on on three uh and at minimum four star everywhere else so Trey Wilson is in there uh from the 2023 class also in there from the 2023 class is Aiden myel I want to make it Andy jeene is not on this because he was not consensus bluechip and I I understand everybody like the people are going to be mad about that because everyone loves Andy Jean I get it this is don't care don't care about how you feel don't care if you think he should have been a consensus Blue Chip don't care about any of that it's just what they are uh so future Trey Wilson Aiden misel from the 2023 class with no more than a year in college they're the blue chips at receiver but you also have 2024 class tank Abrams and uh tank Hawkins and TJ Abrams are the only receiver K commits for the Florida Gators in 2024 and they're both Blue Chip players so the Florida Gators you have your one present proven option at uh your one present proven good starter Bonafide and future you've got four guys at receiver which means that at receiver you have the potential to have a special group there like I and I do mean the potential potential to have a special group the potential to have the the the Alabama a couple of years ago and it was like Jerry Judy Jaylen wad like those kinds of groups you have the potential to have those kinds of groups just know that like like want to make that clear potential but the fact you even have that on your roster right now is huge like just having the ility to do that is incredible um and yeah the Florida Gator have that set up right now at receiver you're good like like again I know that I've had my not complaints about Trey Wilson but I've had my little you know I would like to see him play more receiver actually and less of the uh I guess Le less of the gadgety type stuff like I've said that pretty much the entire time that he's been a Florida Gator um that looked last year what he did was awesome but it was mostly just behind line of scrimmage check down Charlie type stuff I'd like to see him actually run routes I don't think it's deniable though that he's he was very good last year and has the potential to be great as a receiver like he has the potential to be the next great Florida receiver has the potential to be the next Florida Gator first round pick receiver which has been a very short time since they've done that about a week and a halfish so very short time since they've done that but they uh yeah they've got that set up at receiver then we talk about offensive tackle to wrap up the offense and um Les Stellar present none present there is not a Bonafide proven good starter at tackle and I want to make this one clear too I don't care if you look at Austin Barber and go oh like he was good as a red shirt freshman was hurt last year and that's why he played well don't care didn't play well not a bon proven good starter I am someone who when Brandon crenchaw Dixon committed to the Florida Gators from San Diego State I was very high on him and I'm still am very high on him being a good starter the thing is he's going from the Mountain West to the SEC I'm not willing to say that you're a Bonafide proven good starter at this level so I am not saying that Brandon crch Dixon is a Bonafide proven good starter at offensive tackle for the 2024 season for the Florida Gator in the SEC I think he will be a good starter but again that that that Bonafide proven stuff I don't think he's there right now just because I don't think he hasn't played at this level it's hard to say that he is there when he hasn't done it so for me I'm saying the present Florida Gators do not have a present answer at offensive tackle or a present proven good starter at offensive tackle leaving them right now two for three on the five building blocks not a bad spot to be in right cu again in in a perfect world you've got five five of these building blocks for the present five of these building blocks for the future for the future the Florida Gators do have two uh offensive tackles that are considered future building blocks consensus Blue Chip candidates with less with no more than one year in college that is Kaden Jones from the 2023 class and Fletcher Westfall from the 2024 class class and Kaden Jones also if if you recall correctly or if I'm recalling correctly and if you remember um was the last commit in the 2023 High School class for the Florida Gator he committed uh at the All-American Game I believe it was and and that was after uh the initial Signing Day which Florida I believe had everybody uh sign early and then of course jayen Rashad stuff happen but Kaden Jones did not play was a mid-year and rolly last last year um and and so that's just stuff where it's like well we don't want you to play significant snaps if you're a midyear en Rolly on the offensive line in the SEC we don't want you playing significant snaps there and Fletcher Westfall was an early en rolly for the 2024 class played in the spring game he will be one of the players that we have an evaluation come out for um but again we don't want you playing as a true freshman but having that option H having you there big like like that's undeniably big having two of these Blue Chip caliber players got to figure at least like like if you say hey blue chips have a 50% hit rate you've got one of your guys then I don't know what the actual hit rate is for blue CHP players but if you say it's 50% that's what it is like like then you've got it if it's higher than 50% you've got it if it's lower than 50% there's still a chance like if each guys had a 40% hit rate I'd feel comfortable saying like all right well get hit um and so you have your answer as a blue chip caliber player with no more than a year in college Kaden Jones Fletcher Westfall at offensive tackle um also guys can move around guys go from tackle to guard things like that I'm not worrying about projecting any of that I'm not worrying about you know you brought in Enoch wangu at off to tackle high ceiling not a blue chip player right so you could feel comfortable about uh and again I do feel like if you just get a little bit of refinement then we're maybe cooking there um but again this is the the the Future Part is the objectively like don't like it's just it is what it is you don't get to give an opinion on it it's what it is and we are about to look at the defensive side of the ball which has two spots as pass ressure and cornerback but before we get to that we're going to get a quick word from Monopoly go Monopoly Go all right game off we got to pause here to talk more about Monopoly go and I know I know I know you talked about it twice yesterday you talked about it like four times last week there's just so much good stuff in this game and Monopoly go you can team up with your friends for timed tournaments where you work together to build up each other's boards the more you win together the more awesome prizes you unlock and there's so much to get unique stickers you can trade with friends to complete big albums big prizes and cool new playing pieces to travel the boards with which again like my favorite thing about this game is tra okay first off my favorite thing about the board is being my favorite thing about this game is being able to talk and taunt to friends uh and my favorite just other thing about this game is the boards that you get to travel to you start in New York which if you don't know I'm a New Yorker so I love being able to start in New York you get to go to New Orleans the moon Camelot there's a ton in this game just I like to travel I get to live by iously through my playing pieces in this game so just saying that's fun for me there's always something fun to discover in Monopoly go so get off the bench and go download it now free on Google Play or the App Store game on thanks Mega lockon Gator your first Defensive Line listen of the day every day we are available daily and free wherever you listen to podcast and on YouTube and now that we talk about the defensive side of the ball I'm going to remind you again when we say present building block it is a Bonafide proven good starter at that position when we say future it is a blue chip consensus Blue Chip recruit with no more than one year in college that's it it's very objective on the Future Part of it I don't get to say president pass rusher none Flor Gators do not have a present pass rusher on their roster that is a Bonafide proven good starter that is what it is like you can say that you feel comfortable about players projecting out this year I know a lot of people are high on Kelby Collins and TJ CRC and LJ McCrae this year even um but as far as Bonafide proven good starter not there Kelby Collins did not play enough last year to say he was a starter TJ Seri did not play enough last year to be a starter simple as that again it it's entirely just you can't even argue that one in my opinion of a proven Bonafide good starter nope not there Caleb Banks you can make the argument but simply put was not very good last year was your second best pass rusher but was not good in my opinion as far as being a good pass rusher wasn't there and I mean obviously Prince Le man mean last year would have been the answer but and I know that even if I said that there would have been Florida Gator fans pushing back um but other Florida Gator fans like myself we're like yeah proven good pass rusher um but that's not the case but when you look at the future very bright because you've got Kelby Collins who's now playing the three Tech Cameron James TJ cersi who's probably going to be your starting Jack this year and LJ McCrae so you got four guys there that as a again consensus Blue Chip player with no more than a year in college you've got four guys there if you can get one or two to hit you've got your building block at the present at that point if it's TJ CC this year if it's I I don't think it'll be Kelby Collins this year because he's going to be spending a lot of time rotating around and I don't think he'll really have I like he's not gonna be a starter simple as that TJ CI it won't be Cameron James it won't be LJ McCrae so going into 2025 TJ cersi is your guy where you go hey if you can hit on him you've got your proven Bonafide good starter at this position that's it h also TJ seriously Cornerback is TJ sery is I think the only one uh that we have a report on for the lock Gator insiders um and we're going to have I think Kelby and LJ coming up too there's a lot I forget who's done who's not done but we have a long list of players and names and then you look at the cornerback room and present Bonafide proven good starter there are zero Jason Marshall is a five-star commit has not panned out to this point Devin Moore has been good when he's healthy but one was not the starter last year and I don't care if you go he started a game or two he was not the starting cornerback last year and two best abilities available got to be available has not been available to this point uh so you don't have a a proven good bonified starter at cornerback for the Florida Gators but you look at Future jaem Jackson desan Johnson jir Grimley all three of them Bonafide Blue Chip recruits consensus Blue Chip recruits with no no more than a year in college jaem Jackson I think is a very high ceiling I liked what I saw in film from him last year hopefully going to play a bigger role this year and we and we will see that continued development again it's important to remember that all three of these guys are high seiling players desan Johnson played a lot of safety in high school learning how to play more Corner jaem Jackson was mostly a receiver early in his high school career and then his senior year like switched fulltime to corner there or switched to starting corner there and is finally getting that refinement and that coaching but he's still learning the position which if you're someone like me you look at an athlete like jaem Jackson with ball skills aggressive tendencies as a corner and no technical skill and you go man with just like a like a little learning how to play the position and just some technical development with with press coverage mostly is going to be a thing that he's going to have to learn but just like you just teach him how literally just how to play corner he doesn't have to be amazing at it right but you teach him how to play corner and you look at the athleticism that he brings to the table and some of the instincts that he brings to the table and you go okay like we can see a jump I I don't like for the most part development is not linear to begin with it's very rare that a guy gets you know 10% better this year 10% better this year 10% better like that's just not how things usually work and when you talk about someone like jaem Jackson or jir Grimley or Dean Johnson like those three guys I think you can kind of fit in the bucket of like they're learning how to play corner at the SEC level when you give them a year or two you're expecting to see a jump at some point it's not linear you're probably going to see a big jump and if you don't see a big jump within two or three years of learning how to play the position then you can kind of go all right they're just probably not going to hit and and it's as simple as that I do think that that's one of those positions where you you pick up a little bit of technical ability with your athleticism with your traits and you go all right jump should be here and if it's not there and again by two maybe three years in then you can kind of call it um but as far as the future goes like I do think jaem Jackson and Jamir Grimsley show more promise than desan Johnson but that's not a knock on Dijon at all I think that the ceiling for jaem and jir insane just just through the roof um there is no ceiling that's what what we're talking about there um but again for the Florida Gators you wrap up with only two out of five as far as present building blocks but for the future you've got multiple guys at every position except for quarterback where You' just got DJ lagway as a future but I feel like for me at least I feel comfortable having multiple guys as potential future building blocks or as definite future building blocks with the potential to become present building blocks I feel very comfortable having those guys there you you've got multiple options so again like on this show I feel like I talk about it all the time it's not realistic to expect everyone to hit it's just not realistic to expect everyone to develop the way that you anticipate them developing but having those options big big for you like like having that potential is big for you because you got three guys at corner uh four at pass structure four at receiver two at offensive tackle you got to feel pretty comfortable that for everything except maybe tackle at least one guy's going to hit even if the Blue Chip hit rate is like 33% then you've got a pretty good shot at every spot except tackle there but even then again I I do feel pretty comfortable with tackles um just just developing and and having the traits and the tools and I do think that they swung on a lot of three star guys that are in blue chips that can develop and become pretty good uh so I I mean you have to feel comfortable as far as the future building blocks go towards actually building this roster at least I do if you don't let me know uh but I feel pretty comfortable with it thanks for Mak lock down Gator your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free rev this in the podcast and on YouTube for lockdown Gators I'm Brandon Olsen don't forget to follow me on Twitter at wns Brandon find all my written work with giants country and NFL 33 and I will see you all next time