Florida's new preseason ranking adds extra pressure for DJ Lagway

DJ Lagway fell slightly short of the great expectations set before him during his first year with the Florida Gators. But the young quarterback was just a freshman and had only played in 12 college football games by the time the season ended.

Now, as Lagway and the Gators crawl toward their second season together, the expectations and pressure hovering around Florida's quarterback are even higher.

Of course, national attention and pressure continue to mount as the months tick past and the season gradually approaches. Most recently, On3's Andy Staples added a lot of pressure on Lagway's future with his most recent preseason ranking.

Staples ranked the Gators within the top 10 national spots, at No. 10 in the country, despite Florida finishing 10th in the SEC last season. With the astronomically high ranking, Staples placed an even bigger burden on Lagway's shoulders.

Staples only ranked three fellow SEC programs ahead of the Gators, including the Texas Longhorns at No. 1, the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 7, and the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 8 in the nation. He has five other Southeastern Conference programs in the top 25 as well.

What is expected from DJ Lagway this season?

Last season started disastrously for the Gators but as Lagway continued to find his footing, Florida's season improved, including wins over then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss, as well as a bowl game victory over the Tulane Green Wave.

In early September, Florida head coach Billy Napier spoke highly of Lagway and the decision to play him moving forward from that point:

"We intend to play him every week... he brings a different element to our team and he'll be a part of the plan moving forward."

Billy Napier

After some shoulder discomfort this offseason, Lagway is reportedly nearly 100 percent recovered and was already back to throwing by the end of April.

This year, even more will be expected from Lagway as he cements himself as Florida's QB1 and strives to meet the expectations set for him.