There is no turning back. The urgency has now completely taken over any doubt.

Florida’s head coach, Billy Napier, is on the brink of losing his position, and the extraordinarily gifted freshman quarterback, DJ Lagway, holds the potential to turn things around.

At the very least, Lagway can’t make things worse.

“Let’s keep things in perspective here,” Napier said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Football is a team sport.”

It’s a team sport where one standout player in the crucial quarterback role can alter the fate of a struggling program.

Regardless of Napier’s actions, the disappointing score of Miami 41, Florida 17 from Week 1 isn’t going away anytime soon.

The hurt from that loss, witnessed by 90,000 fans at The Swamp, represents a painful undoing of eight months of hard work and hope — along with the bold promise that this season would be different.

The operational chaos, the lack of game-changers on the field, and a team that crumbled in a crucial matchup.

Miami players celebrated as they left the field, taunting top high school recruits on official visits and challenging them to choose Florida over Miami.

The stunned expression on Napier’s face as he departed the field mirrored his feelings of frustration and humiliation — all while his job security hung in the balance.

There’s only one path out of this daunting situation: play Lagway and illustrate the future. Showcase what’s possible.

Show the fans, the big-money supporters, the recruits.

Then step back and pray that Lagway’s exceptional skills can ignite something remarkable. Because, at this juncture, we’ve seen what Graham Mertz can do as the starting quarterback.

Miami’s performance is similar to that of Texas A&M or Tennessee, not to mention Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and LSU. The Gators cannot handle that tough competition with Mertz — who is a resilient, hardworking player — at the helm.

With Lagway, however, there is a fighting chance. His rare talent is a perfect blend of Anthony Richardson’s skills, dynamic playability, and Tim Tebow’s grit and determination.

His teammates have praised Lagway after he set a new record for passing yards (456) by a Florida freshman in last week’s game against FCS team Samford. They’ve commended his talent and work ethic all offseason, stating they would need him — in some capacity — to win games this year.

No one expected he would be needed to salvage the season after the devastation of Week 1. This season, the program’s future, and even Napier’s job hang in the balance.

Florida has dismissed coaches Dan Mullen, Jim McElwain, and Will Muschamp before the conclusion of their seasons in recent years.

Don’t believe Napier is safe until the end of the 2024 season.

If that history isn’t enough, consider this: Florida used McElwain’s alleged death threats to lessen his buyout. The impending NCAA investigation regarding former high school star Jayden Rashada will likely be leveraged to negotiate down Napier’s $26 million buyout.

The key difference is that McElwain never felt like a proper fit in Gainesville—his abrasive demeanor alienated many before he even stepped on the field. Napier is more like Muschamp; everyone making decisions at the university genuinely wants him to succeed.

As Napier walked off after the painful loss to Miami, Florida’s interim president Kent Fuchs stopped him to offer encouragement. Fuchs was the person who hired Napier before his retirement in 2022 and who returned as interim president when former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse resigned unexpectedly in July.

Now, it might fall to Fuchs to fire Napier—unless a significant turnaround occurs this season.

Napier indicated that Mertz—who missed the Samford game due to a concussion—is expected to play, and both quarterbacks will see time against Texas A&M.

Attempting to use Mertz again, hoping that consistency can compensate for his natural weaknesses, could backfire.

That misguided strategy resulted in just five wins last season, making 2024 a must-win year.

Napier has only managed 12 wins in 28 games at Florida, and his teams have often lacked excitement. That was until Lagway’s performance against Samford changed the narrative.

Lagway alters how defenses approach the Gators, stretching the field with his strong arm while also providing an impressive running threat at 6-feet-3 and 240 pounds.

He represents the great unknown.

Shortly after Miami’s dominant victory, Hurricanes defensive coordinator Lance Guidry was asked how they prepared to face Mertz and the Gators’ offense.

He might as well have been carving Napier’s name on a tombstone, leaving any potential future in Gainesville to drain away.

“We took the top 5-7 plays that showed up (on game tape) last year,” Guidry revealed. “A reverse, crossing routes, tailback screens. And around 4-5 of those plays appeared in the first ten plays.”

Lagway is bound to make some errors. He may throw interceptions and struggle with keeping the ball secure. At times, he might make risky passes, choose the wrong plays, or overlook receivers who are wide open.

However, he will also demonstrate abilities that Mertz does not possess. As the playbook becomes more extensive, the strategy employed by the play caller evolves.

The quarterback’s running game becomes a significant element, and the deep passes that were not possible with Mertz now become effortless for Lagway.

In summary: the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

This approach could be crucial in turning around the season and securing Napier’s position as head coach.

Matt Hayes serves as the national college football writer for YSL News Sports Network. You can follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB