Report: Florida targeting 33rd Team website contributor Ben Elsner for support staff/front office role

The Florida Gators are targeting Ben Elsner from football analysis website The 33rd Team for a support staff/front office role, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247sports. For The 33rd Team was founded by former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum. Elsner has been the chief of staff for the company.

The 33rd team has a number of different NFL analysts and contributors across their site, such as Greg Cosell and Sam Monson. Monson was a part of the initial core team for Pro Football Focus, starting there in 2008, and played a critical role in their growth.

The Florida Gators had an impressive finish to their 2024-2025 season, finishing with an 8-5 overall record despite facing one of the nation’s toughest schedules. They won the last four games of the year and the emergence of DJ Lagway, their freshman phenom at quarterback, was a big part of that.

Lagway was one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school and he played like it in the second half of the season. Against Tulane in their bowl game, he completed 22 of 35 passes for 305 passing yards, while tossing one touchdown with two interceptions.

Lagway won the 2023-2024 Gatorade National Player of the Year Award.

He was rated as a five-star+ prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The Texas native was tabbed as the No. 3 overall player in America and the No. 1 quarterback in the country.

His father, John Derek Lagway, played running back for Baylor from 1997-2001.

In 2022, Lagway threw for 2,081 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 2022. He also completed 67% of his passes. He played his high school football for Willis High School (Willis, Texas).

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder threw for 4,604 passing yards and a 6A state record 58 touchdowns his senior year, leading the Wildcats to a 12-1 record. The dynamic dual-threat completed 72.1% of his passes and averaged 354.2 yards per game. He also led the team in rushing yards (957) and touchdowns (16).

Brief Florida outlook for the 2025 campaign

He’ll be the returning starting quarterback for Florida, after he went 6-1 as a true freshman, finishing with 1,915 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns to just nine interceptions. The Gators added senior transfer Harrison Bailey, who threw for 1,190 yards with Tennessee, UNLV, and Louisville, as Lagway’s backup. Incoming freshman Tramell Jones is currently the third-string quarterback.

At running back, Florida will have a deep backfield with sophomore Jadan Baugh coming back, senior Ja’Kobi Jackson, junior Treyaun Webb, and sophomore KD Daniels. At receiver, redshirt sophomore Eugene Wilson III is coming off offseason hip surgery.

He’s shown early signs of stardom, hauling in 61 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 as a freshman. In 2024 before getting injured, his best game came against Samford, when he torched the Bulldogs for six catches 141 receiving yards and a touchdown.

There’s still plenty of time left before next year gets rolling, so plenty can change in the portal between now and fall camp. For now, they’ll be focusing on spring practices and preparing for their spring game. Florida’s spring game will be played on Saturday, April 12th. Kick is set for 1:00 PM EST.

Florida opens up their 2025 campaign against the LIU Sharks (Long Island University). That one will be on Saturday, August 30th.