Florida makes strange decision on depth chart release amid DJ Lagway, Graham Mertz decision

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Florida will no longer release a depth chart, head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. Instead, the Gators will use the availability report now mandated by the SEC.

The first availability report will come out Wednesday night ahead of Florida’s Week 3 matchup against Texas A&M. Another will release on Thursday before the final report on Friday.

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Napier explained his decision to move away from depth charts, saying people can “piece together the depth chart” from there. The move also comes as Florida fans await a decision between Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway as the starting quarterback against Texas A&M.

“That’s kind of what I was describing earlier,” Napier said, via Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre. “We’re just going to produce an availability report from this point forward. And then you piece together the depth chart based off of that, much like you’re describing. In the past, we’ve produced a depth chart. But now we’re just going to give you the availability report.

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“Ultimately you’re in a category. And I think based off of what they’ve been doing in practice, they would anticipate maybe the information that’s going to get out there. The key is that they don’t make any comment about it. I think that’s the most important part. I think our group’s done a good job of that so far.”

Napier previously confirmed his plans to play both quarterbacks after Lagway’s strong showing in his first career start. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns as the Gators defeated Samford 45-7. Napier turned to the highly touted freshman after Mertz suffered an injury in the opener against Miami, which allowed Lagway to get his first taste of college football in the final minutes.

That performance in Week 2 led some to call for Napier to move on from Mertz as the starter and let Lagway take the reins. Earlier this week, he said both quarterbacks would get some run, pointing out the pressure it would put on opposing defenses.

“Our intention the entire time has been to play DJ in every game,” Napier said. “Obviously, he gets a little bit more experienced each week. And certainly, for him to have the opportunity to be the starter, prepare with the ones and then go play, and the way he did that — the poise, the composure — I just think it shows that he’s ready to do what we intend to do with him going forward.

“It’s a blessing to have two really good quarterbacks and certainly one with a ton of experience and one without. But there’s no doubt both of these guys will make us harder to defend. We intend to use both of them.”