The excitement and anticipation surrounding sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway's sophomore season is at near fever pitch as the Florida Gators prepare to open the 2025 season Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against Long Island University.
The Willis, Texas native is routinely highlighted as a potential Heisman Trophy contender ahead of his first full season as the Gators' starting quarterback, and his profile outside of Gainesville, where he's been highly regarded since his days as an up-and-coming high school signal-caller, has steadily increased, leading to national television spots, endorsement opportunities with companies such as Beats By Dre headphones, Chipotle and T-Mobile, and near-constant recognition around the University of Florida's campus.
He's a celebrity in a sense, despite just turning 20 less than two weeks ago, yet those constantly around Lagway haven't noticed a change in his demeanor.
"He handles it very well. You wouldn't notice that he's been on all those commercials," redshirt senior running back Ja'Kobi Jackson said Monday of Lagway. "He's the same way every day when I talk to him."
Similar to many within the Florida football program, Jackson realized from the jump that Lagway was special. His advanced maturity, elevated intensity in contests and humble demeanor made him well-equipped to handle the potential for success upon his arrival at Florida as an early-enrollee in 2024, notes Jackson.
"I would say when I began taking snaps with him," Jackson, asked when he realized Lagway was special, said. "And then I got to see, you know, how he attacks his days. Seeing him not on the football field, and seeing how he prepared, how he's one of the first guys here, and how right when he got here he was being a leader. That's when I could see he was one of 'those ones'."
Aiding Lagway's initial months in Gainesville was the presence of quarterback Graham Mertz, now with the Houston Texans after being selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The former Wisconsin quarterback's desirable traits provided a blueprint in a sense for how a quarterback should carry themselves: ignore the outside noise, focus internally and attack each day. With Lagway now the second-youngest quarterback in the room, the value of Mertz's sixth season at Florida continues to pay dividends for a quarterback tasked with leading the Gators in spite of his underclassman status.
"Graham would be at the front of every meeting, the loudest voice. The guy you wanted to follow. DJ has been picking up on that," kicker Trey Smack said of Lagway. "He probably took a lot of great notes from Graham. Standing on the sideline for a good amount of time, I thinkprobably picked up on that. Even when he wasn't practicing he was in there talking tothe offensive line, the running backs, making sure they're doing their job. That's him developing and maturing a lot more."
--
Florida head coach Billy Napier still remembers Lagway's evaluation process. A previous relationship with J.P. Tillman, a quarterback trainer at the 'Five Star General' QB Academy, along with UF's Director of Scouting & Recruiting Relations, Joe Hamilton, ties to Lagway's home state helped facilitate an initial evaluation period, and Lagway would soon after make the trip to Gainesville.
"I think the personnel staff did a great job with identifying him. And we had a prior relationship with his quarterback coach, Coach Tillman back in Houston. We had coached a player who had trained with him prior, and that's where the relationship came from. And Joe Hamilton being from Texas, I think that helped us as well," Napier recalled Monday. "But he was in our footprint at Louisiana, right? So our process there led to him being a guy we identified early because he was doing some impressive things. And then we get here, and we kind of start that process. So, I think the relationship piece is ultimately what held it together and the caliber of people they are. So, in general, I think the staff did a great job."
Four months into Napier's tenure at Florida, Lagway and his father, Derek, would make the lengthy trip to Gainesville. DJ's collegiate career was still nearly 18 months away, yet the 6-foot-3 signal-caller has already received an abundance of interest and offers from Power Four programs around the country. Yet the ties to Florida's coaching staff gave the Gators a perceived edge in a sense. The connection was near-instant.
"I remember the first visit. He came here in spring practice that first year (in 2022). I can remember we were in the stadium at that point, and we were meeting upstairs in the offensive staff room. He's in there with his dad and his quarterback coach. We met him in the office over there," Napier said. "I do remember pulling the tape up and evaluating the day before, the day of there. Just saying, 'Hey, OK, they're telling me this guy's a good player, and you take a look.' It was year one, when we first got here."
Before spring camp in 2022 had concluded, Lagway had received a scholarship offer from the Gators, though there was still a long road ahead in his recruitment, one which would solidify Lagway as one of the nation's top prospects in the class of 2024.
Soon, Lagway's recruiting profile ballooned, with the nation's top teams – with many having more impressive on-field results than the Gators – inquiring for Lagway's services. The Gators didn't relent in their pursuit, and bonds between Napier and Co. and the Lagways continued to strengthen, leading Lagway to commit to Florida in the first week of December, weeks after Napier's first season in Gainesville had concluded. The Gators would have to withstand the pursuit of multiple teams if they wanted to bring Lagway to the program, including a Southeastern Conference program in his home state, Texas A&M.
Now, the rest is history: Lagway is days away from starting the season as Florida's primary signal-caller, as Napier confirmed Monday, ending much speculation regarding his availability for the 2025 season.
Admittedly, the previous months have not been easy. There's been constant speculation regarding his health, which has coincided with his elevated profile and increased accountability. The various ailments Lagway has dealt with could lead many coaches to pause and ponder whether or not one is truly ready for their turn in the limelight, yet Napier, who has observed the second-year quarterback consistently work behind the scenes, often away from the field, has no reservations regarding Lagway's ability to lead – and perform at a high level – when the 2025 season opens Saturday.
"We've had a lot of conversations. Obviously you get frustrated, but I think just kind of recentering around, 'Hey, look, next, what's next?' I think we've had to do that quite a bit. So for me, the kid's very level-headed. I think he's got poise. He's got humility," Napier said of Lagway. "I think the big thing he's learning is, look, I've got to focus on what I can do and not what I can't do. It's the same thing for the team and the organization as a whole. We can't control the external, but we can control the internal. It's a consistency there, and I think it allows you to continue to get better."