Texas heads to Gainesville to face a reeling Florida team. DJ Lagway has struggled, but his talent is clear. Jadan Baugh is one of the top RBs in the SEC. Tyreak Sapp can wreck havoc up front.
Florida is waiting in Gainesville for the Longhorns this weekend, and right now, the Gators are sort of reeling. There has been talk of letting go of Billy Napier, there are true worries around DJ Lagway and the offense as a whole. Despite that, the talent on this team is incredibly clear. We detailed the Longhorns to watch in the Swamp. Now, here are a few names on both sides of the ball Longhorns fans should know heading into this weekend.
DJ Lagway
DJ Lagway has been the talk of college football right along with Arch Manning, for all the wrong reasons. He struggled with injuries last year and into fall camp this season. Because of that, he has looked out of sorts early in the season, including a 5 INT performance against LSU. That doesn’t change this is a player with immense talent, and has the ability to turn a corner at any moment. If he does this weekend, the Texas defense is going to have their hands full.
Jadan Baugh
This will be the best player on the field in Orange and Blue. Baugh is a true star at the RB position and he can take over a game at any given moment. Incredibly strong runner in between the tackles, but also has unique speed on the outside. He is not an elite receiver, but is more than capable of hurting you in that facet, if given the opening. There have been few bright spots for the Florida offense, but whenever #13 touches the ball, he can go to the house. Texas will have to be fully ready for Baugh and the Florida run game Saturday.
Dallas Wilson
This is a name you won’t see on any box scores for the Gators thus far. That is because he got injured in fall camp, but this former 5-star was turning heads in a big way this offseason. The Florida offense has really struggled to push the ball downfield, and this could very well be the key that opens that. Wilson is uniquely talented and matches up physically with any other elite WR in the SEC. It will be his debut, so we will see how much he is used, but this is a difference maker for the Gators outside.
Tyreak Sapp
Tyreak Sapp is very possibly the most undertalked about defensive player in the SEC. He is so incredibly powerful and quick off the edge, and can truly take over any game. Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker will need to be ready for #94 and be able to keep him at bay as best they can. This Florida DL not having Caleb Banks makes the job for the OL a touch easier, but there are still NFL bodies all over the place up front. Sapp is chief among them, and Arch Manning will need to track him all afternoon.
Dijon Johnson
This is the best DB on the Florida team, and could very well end up being an All-SEC team selection. The 6’1”, 204lbs CB has an incredible ability to handle any type of receiver and does a great job in man-to-man coverage. He has been dominant just about every snap this season, and will likely be the guy you see across from Ryan Wingo consistently. Johnson is the leader of the backend unit, and will likely be someone Manning has to see plenty of Saturday.
Cormani McClain
Finally, we have another incredibly talented CB for the Gators. McClain is a name many of you might know because of his high profile recruitment and transfer portal saga. He started his career at Colorado, coming out of high school at the top CB in the country. He transferred to Florida after one year in Boulder, and played rotationally a year ago. He has now stepped into a starting role, and with elite length, he is a confident coverage corner. McClain is going to see a lot of in this game, and it could come at the benefit or detriment of the Longhorns.
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