• LB Jamin Davis (Commanders)
• RB Ray Davis (Bills)
• EDGE Bud Dupree (Chargers)
• CB Brandin Echols (Jets)
• S Mike Edwards (Bills)
• C Luke Fortner (Jaguars)
• EDGE Josh Hines-Allen (Jaguars)
• QB Will Levis (Titans)
• OL Darian Kinnard (Eagles)
• EDGE Josh Paschal (Lions)
• CB Dru Phillips (Giants)
• WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants)
• S Keidron Smith (Broncos)
• EDGE Za’Darius Smith (Browns)
• CB Carrington Valentine (Packers)
• LB Trevin Wallace (Panthers)
• OT Landon Young (Saints)

In the days to follow, the Jets claimed former Kentucky tight end Brenden Bates and added him to the active 53-man roster. There are now 18 former Kentucky players on active rosters. An additional five Wildcats were added to various practice squads.

• QB Devin Leary (Ravens)
• OG Tashawn Manning (Bengals)
• RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Commanders)
• DT Phil Hoskins (Cowboys)
• S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (Panthers)

Each NFL team is allowed to construct a 17-player practice squad, including one spot allocated for the International Pathway Program. Ten of those players must be rookies or second year players. There are no restrictions for the other six players. Rookies and second year players earn $12,500 each they are on the practice squad whereas veterans with at least three years of experience earn a minimum of $16,800 and a maximum of $21,300 per week.

Those units are fluid and can change on a daily basis. Each week during the regular season, teams have the opportunity to elevate up to two practice squad players and players may not be elevated more than three separate weeks during the season.

Billy Napier was noncommittal about who would start at quarterback in his team’s return to action on Saturday as he and his staff “kind of bulletproof our process in-house” with regard to the NCAA’s recently mandated injury reports, which are required to be published on Wednesdays.

“It’s to be determined right now,” Napier said of his signal-caller situation. “I think we’re moving our way.”

Don’t be surprised, though, when the Gators ultimately turn to true freshman phenom DJ Lagway, a consensus five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, the 2023 Gatorade Football Player of the Year and Florida’s second-highest-ranked signal-caller signee ever.

With starter Graham Mertz in concussion protocol and the Gators set to host a Samford team that opened its season with a 38-29 loss to Division-I newcomer West Georgia, Lagway’s first-career start seems probable. On Monday he repped with Florida’s first-team offense in practice.

“He’s a completely different person and player than he was when he first arrived,” Napier said of Lagway on Monday afternoon. “He’s got a really good knowledge of our system.”

Lagway showed it when he made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter of Florida’s 41-17 blowout loss to No. 19 Miami on Saturday.

After poor blocking and pass protection led to a three-and-out on his first series, the Willis, Texas native facilitated the Gators’ first and only touchdown drive of the second half, throwing for 31 yards on 3-of-4 passing and using his legs to pick up 17 yards on the ground, 16 of which came on a red-zone scramble that set his team up with first-and-goal on the Hurricanes’ 5-yard line.

Providing Lagway is under center against the Bulldogs on Saturday night, the Gators will continue to cater their offense to his dual-threat skill set, which turned heads throughout preseason camp and proved effective in his debut.

“I think we would play a brand of football that reflects his experience and his strengths, right?” Napier said. “No different than we do each week.”

Hopes are high for how Lagway’s abilities could impact Florida’s offense, which was anemic for the vast majority of Saturday’s season opener, especially through the air where it accumulated just 91 passing yards, zero passing scores and an interception and failed to connect on any 20-plus-yard plays throughout the first three quarters of action.

He’s raw but there’s something “different” about Lagway when he enters a game according to his teammates.

His gifts are simply apparent.

“Everything he do is just smooth, it just seems effortless, cool, calm, collected,” sophomore wideout Eugene Wilson said. “I feel like a lot of that dynamic will be able to play a factor the rest of the season.”

Added tight end Hayden Hansen: “If he’s running on the outside, scrambling and the defender is kind of a little bit over, and he’ll stick his foot in the ground, he’s gone. It’s really fun to watch.”

If Lagway is indeed under center against the Gators’ most beatable foe of the 2024 season, the team’s pass catchers will have to prepare for a different type of passer.

According to Wilson, Mertz offers more of a gentleman-like ball. He’ll “put it in your pocket,” the second-year Gator receiver said. Lagway, who threw for 4,604 yards and 58 touchdowns as a senior at Willis High while also leading the team in rushing with 957 yards and 16 scores, throws more of a dart, rifling the ball to his targets.

Wilson compared it to a Jugs passing machine.

“Exactly how that feels,” he quipped. “I know on my slant routes Graham gives me, I don’t have to brace as much when it’s coming. With DJ, he can throw that thing, but Graham, he is going to put it there and make it easy for me. With DJ, like I say, he is going to do his job and I’m going to do mine.”

Lagway’s physical talents aren’t the only things that have caught the attention of his teammates and coaches as the 6-foot-3, 239-pound freshman has also impressed with his preparation and maturity.

During the preseason, Mertz said Lagway’s mental game would allow him to “skyrocket.”

“He’s big, he’s 240, can move, and can make any throw on the field,” Mertz said. “The biggest thing is his humility and his approach. I think that’s the biggest thing as a young player. If you can have that you can grow faster because you’re being real with yourself. What can I get better at right now? And focus in on that and growing a little bit every day.”

And he has.

“He prepared like no other, like he was the starting quarterback,” left tackle Austin Barber said Monday. “I think he went out there and showed what he can do. I’m happy for him.”

The Gators are eager to see what he can do with an even bigger opportunity.

“It didn’t seem like we really lost a step ever since Graham went out,” Wilson said. “It sucked that he went down. I hope that he gets back on his feet as soon as possible, but DJ’s going to be the man to take care of the action that we’ve got to take care of.”

The wait for SEC football finally ended last week with the start of Week 1. Several teams in the conference made waves with their play, while others have to dig themselves out of a hole early.

We learned quite a bit about several teams in the past week, which led to me changing up my rankings for the Week 2 SEC poll. Here’s a look at my last ballot team by team, starting with the No. 14 team and going all the way to No. 1: