A rough night turned into a hard pivot for Florida football. After an error-stacked first half against the Kentucky Wildcats, Billy Gonzales made a bold decision: he sat starting quarterback DJ Lagway and handed the offense over to true freshman Tramell Jones, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.
The move came after Lagway threw three first-half interceptions and struggled with stalled drives that left Florida buried in a multi-score hole. With Florida trailing 31-7, the coaching staff sought a spark by bringing in Jones.
This decision aligned with the growing calls from fans for a change following a “putrid” opening half. Kentucky’s relentless pass rush had continually pressured the Gators on obvious passing downs, exposing weaknesses that Florida needed to address.
The numbers told the story. By halftime, DJ Lagway was 11-of-19 for 83 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, per the ESPN box score. Florida’s possessions were typically short, and poor field position flipped momentum in Kentucky’s favor. The one-sided box score reflected the Wildcats’ control of the game tempo and their ability to capitalize on takeaways.
Enter Tramell Jones. The true freshman came into the game with a clean season line—12-of-18 for 131 yards and two touchdowns—primarily in low-leverage snaps. Florida didn’t need hero ball; it needed rhythm.
Expect Jones to implement a quick game with defined reads and incorporate more quarterback runs to calm the pass rush. Getting the ball into the hands of key receivers like Vernell Brown III and J. Michael Sturdivant in space will be critical. If Florida can lean on tempo and early-down efficiency, the defense will at least have a better chance to reset the field.
There’s also off-field fallout from the change. The receiver rotation narrows, which in turn increases the pressure on the quarterback to stay clean, make smart decisions, and keep the offense on schedule.
https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/florida-football-news-dj-lagway-benched-tramell-jones-kentucky
