Billy Napier bristles at talk of benching DJ Lagway

Most of the time during his press conferences, Billy Napier has been even-keeled and calm when answering questions. But ever since SEC Media Days, Napier has been more noticeably fiesty and at times downright agitated at the critiques that have been lobbed at the Florida Gators.

On Monday, we saw Napier get among the most animated we have ever seen him get with the media, as he didn't like a question thrown his way about the QB situation in Gainesville.

Billy Napier defends DJ Lagway in press conference

Napier started out with some basic questions about Lagway and expressed confidence that his five-star prospect would regain the form he showcased last season:

"I just think in general conceptually I think that a week of prep, you know, exposing him to some of those things maybe, and then just continuing to coach, continuing the practice environment, try to recreate the game for him during the week, and then just where he's at relative to missing spring camp."

He was then asked a question, "In the value of experience, is there any thought about giving elevated reps, whether in practice or in a game, to someone like Aidan Warner or Harrison Bailey?"

Napier asked for clarification on the question, and so it was rephrased, "Given the need for experience, is there any thought about giving first-team practice reps..."

And this is where Napier interjected, visibly annoyed:

"So give the third and the fourth guy reps?"

To which the follow-up was "Do you think the value of experience would help in that regard?"

This is where Napier shut down any idea that Aiden Warner or Harrison Bailey would get a look:

"Aiden (Warner) has more experience than DJ (Lagway)? No, he doesn't.

And I think you would probably be hard-pressed to add up Harrison (Bailey's) reps, and it would probably be less than DJ (Lagway's).

So, that's not a very good question.

Tramell Jones is the backup quarterback. Let's focus on what we can do from a technical perspective."

Backup QBs are always the most popular guy on the team

To the point of the question, the theory is that while Tramell Jones did in fact win the backup QB job during fall camp, is Napier really going to put a true freshman in if he feels the need to pull the plug on Lagway?

The reporter who asked it, Graham Hall of Swamp247, later took the X to admit he didn't ask a great question.

And while Napier's quip wasn't on the level of what we saw from Brian Kelly and the LSU media, it is also evident that the stress of starting 1-2 is getting to Napier.

Based on the way Napier responded, he makes it sound like Warner and Bailey aren't even close in the conversation. That makes sense for Warner, who was thrown into the fire last year, and it didn't go well.

However, Bailey was handpicked out of the transfer portal as the "experienced backup" and played well in the spring game, so it has been somewhat perplexing that he seems relegated to the fourth team.

Either way, Napier made it clear that Jones is the backup moving forward, but he has no intention of pulling Lagway for the time being.