![Florida Gators edge Tyreak Sapp (94) participates in a drill during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01k1qy6zg3w1z41byp6f.jpg "Florida Gators edge Tyreak Sapp (94) participates in a drill during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
DJ Lagway returned to practice yesterday for the Florida Gators, and there was a sigh of relief heard across Gainesville. Lagway isn't out of the woods just yet and still had a sleeve on his left calf, but it was encouraging to see him out of the field.
But for as much as Lagway is going to dictate success for Florida, there is another position group that might just be the biggest X-factor for the Gators in 2025.
EDGE rushers need to step up in 2025
In Phil Steele's rankings of the top 25 defensive lines in the country, Florida came in at No. 10. Headlining Florida's defensive line are Tyreak Sapp and Caleb Banks, who both have the potential to go in the top three rounds of the NFL Draft, but it is who is behind Sapp that could dictate the season.
On paper, Sapp is going to be paired up with George Gumb, with LJ McCray and Kamran James rotating in as needed.
While the group has sky-high potential, Sapp is the only one of the group, though, who had actual consistent on-field production all throughout the 2024 campaign. The irony was that he wasn't a starter to begin 2024, but was too much of a wrecking ball to be ignored.
Considering how low the expectations were for Gumbs when he first transferred to Florida, he wound up having a decent campaign. But he also had just one sack over the final six games, and his 26 total pressures were 137th in the country out of the 261 EDGE rushers who had at least 400 snaps.
If Gumbs takes a step forward, it would create a solid 1-2 punch along the EDGE, but it is the rotation pieces of McCray and James who really need to step up in 2025.
McCray is the former five-star prospect who had a quiet freshman campaign with the Gators. Likewise, James came to Florida as a top 150 overall prospect who has yet to leave a mark in two seasons.
Last year, James had three sacks, but his "win rate" on pass rushes was just 3.2%, which was 355th out of 371 EDGE rushers with at least 150 pass rushes.
If all four of these guys reach their potential, the Gators would wind up with one of the more feared EDGE groups in the country. If this group stays stagnant, the secondary for Florida is going to have to hold up for a long time.