GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s hamstring injury is “less significant” than initially feared and the Gators have not ruled him out for Saturday’s game at No. 5 Texas.

“I think a lot of that will be determined as we go through the week,” coach Billy Napier said Monday.

“We believe there is a path to recovery and a way back,” Napier added.

Lagway has been gone since Saturday 34-20 loss to no. 2 Georgia in the second quarter and returned to the sideline in the second half with his legs wrapped and using crutches. He was the second Florida quarterback to go down this season, joining starter Graham Mertz.

Replays showed Lagway grabbing his left hamstring during a 3-yard run. He was carted off the field to a standing ovation and with the Gators leading 10-3 in a rivalry game known as “The World’s Greatest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”

Mertz is out for the season with a torn ligament in his left knee, so the Gators had to return to face Aidan Warner against one of the best defenses in the Southeastern Conference. Warner would start against the Longhorns if Lagway is unable to play.

Warner completed 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards, with an interception that set up a late touchdown. He was also sacked twice.

Lagway, a highly touted freshman from Texas, completed 2 of 6 passes for 47 yards, including a 43-yarder to Aidan Mizell for a touchdown.

Lagway completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,071 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. His numbers in his first two starts were staggering: 715 yards passing, including 10 completions of 40 yards or longer.

And it wasn’t the dinks and dunks that turned into big wins. He threw balls in buckets down the field and hit receivers in stride. He looked like a perfect fit for Napier’s deep-hitting read-option offense.

How Warner would fit into this mold remains to be seen. How Florida ended up with a walk-on as the third-string quarterback is perhaps more troubling.

Napier lost eight QB scholarships earlier than expected during his three years at Florida, including transfers Jalen Kitna, Jack Miller and Max Brown. Signee Jaden Rashada never made it to Gainesville after a name, image and likeness deal worth nearly $14 million fell through.

Rashada ended up at Arizona State for one year and then transferred to Georgia. He is now suing Napier and a prominent booster over the NIL deal.

Colorado State transfer Clay Millen is on scholarship and behind Warner on the depth chart.

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