![Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) celebrates at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with teammates Florida Gators running back Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11), Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) and Florida Gators linebacker Derek Wingo (15) in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. The Gators defeated the Rebels 24-17 [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6727,h_3783/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01jja6ahf7kyb1m0erfx.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) celebrates at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with teammates Florida Gators running back Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11), Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) and Florida Gators linebacker Derek Wingo (15) in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. The Gators defeated the Rebels 24-17 [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Offseason dreaming is well underway for Florida Football as the Gators have begun their offseason workouts, hoping to take a step forward in 2025 to improve upon their 8-5 campaign from 2024.
Some players like DJ Lagway or Tyreak Sapp are entrenched and fans should expect a big year out of them. Some players will be background noise and will be mostly forgotten once the season begins.
There are a handful of players in the middle who could have a big year, but they might also get shown the door if they don't have a big year.
The following are five players who are entering 2025 as a make-or-break season with the Gators.
Aidan Mizell
Most projections have Aidan Mizell as the third wide receiver for the Gators in 2025, alongside Eugene Wilson and J. Michael Sturdivant. Mizell came to Gainesville as a top 100 overall prospect noted for his speed.
But two years into his journey with Florida, Mizell has yet to break through for consistent snaps. He caught Lagway's highlight reel touchdown against Samford and caught another one against Georgia. He also looked explosive against Mississippi State.
Yet, as we have noted multiple times, he was losing snaps to Marcus Burke by the end of the season, the same Burke who promptly transferred out and went to UCF.
If Mizell doesn't emerge early in 2025, Dallas Wilson and/or Vernell Brown are in line to showcase what they can do and potentially push Mizell out the door if he doesn't live up to his top 100 billing.
Treyaun Webb
A fractured tibia derailed the 2024 season for Treyaun Webb after he came into the year as RB2. In his absence, Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson stepped up and looked great.
So while Montrell Johnson is gone, Webb is going to have to compete with Baugh and Jackson for snaps, along with speedy freshman Waltez Clark.
LJ McCray
It may be a bit unfair to peg year two as a make-or-break year for LJ McCray, but with departures along the defensive line, the Gators are going to be leaning heavily on McCray to live up to his five-star billing.
Even with the snaps McCray did get in 2024, his metrics were pedestrian. If his metrics mirror that in 2025, question marks as to whether or not he will reach his five-star ranking will emerge.
Cormani McClain
Speaking of former five stars, Cormani McClain came to Gainesville as a bit of a reclamation project for Billy Napier. After a chaotic recruiting process, McClain struggled with Colorado before transferring to Florida as a walk-on.
He had the pick-six against Kentucky, and he took extended snaps against Georgia and Texas, but he was otherwise relegated to the sideline in 2024.
McClain is entering year three of his college career, and if he is ever going to live up to the five-star billing, 2025 might be now or never.
Jordan Castell
After earning freshman All-American honors in 2023, Jordan Castell regressed in 2024. His impact on stopping the run game decreased, and his missed tackle rate went up as a whole.
Combined with his coverage metrics staying the same, 2025 is going to tell the tale of whether or not Castell has plateaued or if 2024 was just a blip on the radar.