![Mississippi Rebels defensive end Jared Ivey (15) pressures Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_343,w_1529,h_860/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/273/01jj7b8g3bhz1w8zbt4k.jpg "Mississippi Rebels defensive end Jared Ivey (15) pressures Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Five worst placements in On3's top 25: Florida at 9th
I'll be the first to admit that Florida's team was better than their record in 2024. The Gators ended the year at 8-5, but they had the makings of a top-25 squad in terms of pure quality when they really got things going.
DJ Lagway is an exciting young quarterback, and the win over Ole Miss was a landmark moment for Billy Napier's tenure in Gainesville. All of this is true.
However, there are some big issues with the Gators headed into next year, not the least of which is the massive amount of talent they're losing through the portal. UF has a huge number of contributors outbound for the upcoming year, and they're not exactly replacing them with the equivalent level of talent.
Lagway himself was the most important retention, but a QB alone does not a top-25 squad make— much less a top-10 team. I'd accept something down in the 20-25 range as cautious optimism, but 9th is too rich for the Gators at this point.