Report: DJ Lagway Felt Isolated, Depressed at Florida
Former Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway recently opened up to Matt Hayes of USA TODAY about his turbulent time at Florida and the mental and physical health struggles that hampered him throughout. Lagway said he dealt with depression and isolation during his tenure in Gainesville, and that he never should have played during his freshman season due to injury issues.
Lagway flashed impressive arm talent and playmaking ability in his freshman season at Florida. His dual-threat play style and high school hype drew Tim Tebow comparisons, crowning him the program’s savior.
However, Lagway told USA TODAY that he never should have played during his freshman season. Shoulder soreness lingered all season and a “debilitating” hamstring injury suffered in the first week of November 2024 should have kept him out, but he said he played because he felt an obligation to the school. Injuries continued to pile on, with Lagway experiencing another four over the course of the offseason, all while he and former coach Billy Napier proclaimed his recovery was on schedule.
Lagway said he also struggled mentally while he was with the Gators.
“I was in a bubble down there, I didn’t feel like a normal person,” Lagway said.“Yeah, I was depressed. I just stayed in my own lane.”
He said that he never stepped in a classroom at UF and didn’t even know what the campus looked like.
Lagway’s struggles were apparent in his sophomore season. The Gators went 4-8, Billy Napier was fired midseason and Lagway’s numbers only got worse. He threw 14 interceptions, with five coming against LSU and three against Kentucky. Hopes for a Heisman Trophy campaign were essentially dead after two weeks, following a disappointing home loss to South Florida.
Lagway’s new coach at Baylor, Dave Aranda, said he is “worn from the Florida experience” and that “all the comments and critiques really hurt him.”
At Baylor, Lagway is trying to be more intentional in developing relationships with his teammates, paying for 15 of his new teammates to join him on spring break in Miami.
Lagway was the second-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class and the 24th best quarterback recruit ever on 247Sports composite rankings. He was the seventh overall recruit in his class, the 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year, and set the Texas 6A single-season touchdown pass record. Ironically, his high school scouting report on 247Sports compared him to former Gator Anthony Richardson, another uber-talented quarterback that seemed to never fully develop at Florida.
Baylor hopes that easing Lagway’s mental and physical struggles can help unlock his talent with the Bears. Meanwhile, Florida looks to turn a new leaf with new head coach Jon Sumrall and a quarterback battle between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones.
Both parties are ready to leave the Lagway era behind for good.
Category: College Football, Gators Football
