Florida QB DJ Lagway Announces Transfer Portal Decision
Gators quarterback DJ Lagway announced via social media Monday that he intends to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2 – marking the end of his time here at Florida.
Lagway is looking for a fresh start somewhere else following a tumultuous 4-8 season, according to ESPN College Football Insider Pete Thamel. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix took a similar path when he decided to leave his dream school, Auburn, in search of a new start and stumbled upon Oregon, where he succeeded.
Lagway came out of high school ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback, a top-10 commit and won the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year. The talented freshman from Willis, Texas, became a celebrity around Gainesville and built anticipation leading up to his debut.
As a freshman, Lagway threw for 1,915 yards, completed 59.9% of his passes and had a 12-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. More importantly, he went 6-1 as a starter and became one of the main contributors to Florida’s midseason revival in 2024.
After finishing 8-5 on the year, expectations were high for the 2025 season, during which Lagway earned preseason watch lists and numerous awards, including the Heisman Trophy. However, the season quickly turned on its head as Florida quickly dropped to 2-4 out of the gate, including a home loss to USF — before eventually finishing 2-6 in the SEC and in doing so without head coach Billy Napier, who was fired midway through the year.
For Lagway, this season was a complete 180 compared to his freshman campaign. After dealing with a slough of injuries that sidelined Lagway for most of the offseason, he returned hoping for a good year. But that never came to fruition, as Lagway regressed mightily with pocket-awareness, footwork and arm-talent.
Lagway completed 63.2% of his throws, threw for 2,264 yards with a disastrous 16-to-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The 14 picks were the third most in all of college football. The picks became so bad that after three first-half interceptions against Kentucky, Lagway got benched for the remainder of the game due to his performance.
Lagway’s weight also seems to be an issue. The former five-star dual-threat quarterback looked slower and less agile than in years prior, perhaps due to continuously dealing with soft-tissue injuries throughout his time at Florida. Lagway vowed following the Florida State game to get himself in order and hoped to return to his former self.
“I want to get my body right, get back in shape,” Lagway said. “Willis (TX) DJ Lagway 2023 National Player of the Year in shape. Just feel good and have a good offseason. That’s what I’m excited for.”
Following the season’s end, Florida hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall to be the next coach. At Sumrall’s introductory press conference, one of the many players in attendance was Lagway, making it seem that he would be a part of the next chapter here at Florida. Lagway seemed on board to be a Gator after the FSU game, where he reiterated that his plans were to stay here.
“At this point, I’m a Florida Gator,” Lagway said. “I’m happy and blessed to be here.”
Once the portal opens on Jan. 2, Lagway will become one of the most sought-after quarterbacks by a plethora of schools needing a signal-caller next season that can offer Lagway a fresh start.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC
