Image Credit: UAA

The Florida Gators have struggled with depth at the quarterback position over the last few seasons due a bevy of unexpected departures that came amid myriad reasons. Head coach Billy Napier continued his effort to shore up that position entering the 2025 season on Saturday when former Charlotte 49ers quarterback Deshawn Purdie announced that he will play for the Gators next year.

Purdie (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) completed 50% of his passes for 1,802 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions last season. The true freshman from Baltimore was rated as a three-star prospect out of high school and a three-star transfer by 247Sports. He chose UF after also taking visits to Georgia and North Carolina.

Freshman DJ Lagway returns as Florida’s entrenched starter next season with Purdie and four-star Tramell Jones Jr. (Jacksonville, FL), the No. 229 prospect in the Class of 2025, likely to compete for the primary backup job. Redshirt freshman walk-on Aidan Warner, a transfer from Yale, was the third-string signal caller during the season with redshirt junior Clay Millen, a transfer from Colorado State, never getting on the field.