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Gators Earn Commit from Transfer Quarterback

Former Charlotte quarterback Deshawn Purdie will be the likely backup to rising sophomore DJ Lagway.

Cam Parker

Sep 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers quarterback Deshawn Purdie (15) looks to pass in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers quarterback Deshawn Purdie (15) looks to pass in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators are boosting its quarterback depth for the 2025 season through the NCAA Transfer Portal with the addition of former Charlotte quarterback Deshawn Purdie, who officially announced his pledge on Sunday.

247 Sports' Matt Zenitz first reported on Sunday that Purdie's commitment was the expectation. Florida was also targeting former UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin, who has since committed to Maryland.

A true freshman in 2024, Purdie (6-4, 220 pounds) threw for 1,802 yards and 10 touchdowns while splitting time as the starter for the 49ers. He'll likely become the immediate backup to Lagway in 2025.

Florida also added four-star high school recruit Tramell Jones Jr. to its 2025 signing class.

Despite having one of the SEC's most experienced quarterbacks in 2024 with Graham Mertz and five-star freshman DJ Lagway behind him, injuries and inexperience proved that Florida's quarterback depth was a weak link.

A concussion and eventual torn ACL ended Mertz's senior season, putting Lagway into the lineup before a strained hamstring forced him out midway through the Georgia game and forced him to miss all of the Texas game.

The Gators had another scholarship quarterback behind Lagway in Colorado State transfer Clay Millen, but he had been passed by walk-on Yale transfer Aidan Warner for the third-string spot. Warner struggled in his two appearances of serious game time.

The additions of Purdie alongside Jones Jr. put the Gators in a comfortable spot with its quarterback room behind Lagway.

Purdie is the third transfer addition this offseason for Florida joining former Michigan punter Tommy Doman and former UCLA receiver J. Michael Sturdivant.

Gators IllustratedĀ is tracking all of Florida's portal movesĀ hereĀ and is keeping count of the Gators' roster numbersĀ here.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.comĀ of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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