The Gators (4-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) have made strides since lopsided losses to Miami and Texas A&M during the first month of the season. Napier shored up his shaky defense, found a potential star in freshman quarterback DJ Lagway and developed young talent on both sides of the ball.

The Florida Gators took another loss to Georgia, but this was different - it's leading to a potential shift in the perception of Billy Napier

"The tune continues to change around Billy Napier’s future," Nakos wrote. "After Florida was embarrassed 33-20 in Gainesville by Texas A&M in September, it appeared to just be a matter of time until Napier was fired. But the Gators have played Tennessee and Georgia close and are 2-3 in the SEC ."

If DJ Lagway, a native of Willis, Texas, cannot return to play in his home state third-string walk-on quarterback Aidan Warner will make his first career start.

The Florida football program needs to show it is trending in a positive direction, and the next five weeks provide chances to do that. The Florida-Georgia game this weekend marks the first inflection point for Billy Napier's Gators, who have improved after being blown out by Miami and soundly beaten by Texas A&M.

DJ Lagway’s dual-threat abilities are custom-fit to Billy Napier’s attack, while his ability to consistently attack down the field is rare. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Texan had five

On paper, it has been a so-so year for the Florida Gators, and certainly compared to the sky-high expectations in Gainesville, it has been a disappointment.

Florida Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was carted off the field with a hamstring injury during Saturday's 34-20 loss to Georgia.