Five Things to Know About Florida State Football Quarterback DJ Lagway in His Debut

Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway made his first appearance against Miami, when the freshman passed for 31 yards, ran for 20 yards and led the Florida Gators to a fourth-quarter touchdown.

A week later, with quarterback Graham Mertz still recovering from a concussion, Lagway made his first career appearance for UF on Saturday night against Samford.

Lagway, a small-town Texan and a rugged Texan, won the 2023 Gatorade High School National Football Player of the Year Award, joining a fraternity that includes UF legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (1987) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Payton Manning (1994). Smith traveled to Gainesville to pose for photos with Lagway at The Swamp shortly after he won the Gatorade Award.

“I just take it with a grain of salt,” Lagway said at the Under Armour All-American game last January, shortly after winning the award. “I just enjoy everything, give it to God because it’s all a blessing, but what God gives you, he can take away.”

Here are five things to know about Lagway:

DJ Lagway comes from a small town

Lagway hails from Willis, Texas (population 6,431), a small town about 50 miles north of Houston. As part of the Piney Woods of East Texas, Willis’s economy was based primarily on timber and agriculture.

“It shaped me to be loyal to where I am,” Lagway said. “My hometown wasn’t a winning school, wasn’t a winning town, but I feel like coming in there and changing the atmosphere, the way the town operates, I feel like I did that. So I’m trying to do the same thing in Gainesville.”

Willis isn’t far from the shores of Lake Conroe, but Lagway said he didn’t have any hobbies on the lake when he was growing up. “I was across the street from the railroad tracks,” Lagway said, “not even close to the lake.”

DJ Lagway has a quick release

Part of the reason for Lagway’s passing success (4,604 yards, 72.1 percent completion rate, Texas 6A-record 58 TDs in 2023) is his ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly, a trait that should serve him well against an SEC pass rusher. “DJ Lagway is the best quarterback I’ve ever coached,” Conroe High School head coach Cedric Hardeman said. “He’s got a quick release that allows him to push the ball into windows that most high school players can’t. He can run and he’s developed a great leadership role. I have a lot of respect for that kid.”

DJ Lagway connects with Florida quarterback Graham Mertz

During the offseason, Lagway spoke with Mertz in an attempt to take over Florida’s offensive initiative, which carried over into spring and fall camps.

“He’s a really good guy,” Lagway said. “I’m looking forward to learning the ins and outs of being a quarterback from him.”

How Florida football coach Billy Napier allocates playing time between Mertz and Lagway will be a tough sell. Mertz enters the fall as the clear No. 1 receiver after passing for 2,903 yards with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2023, but given Lagway’s dual-threat ability, there could be some opportunity to use him in third-and-short and change-of-pace scenarios, much like former Florida coach Urban Meyer used Tim Tebow as a freshman in 2006 behind Chris Leak.

“DJ will get to watch a guy who knows how to prepare, knows how to lead, understands attention to detail, discipline,” Napier said. “What is the year-round process like to be a college quarterback at this level? And DJ’s transition would be a lot harder if Graham wasn’t there.”

DJ Lagway is a dual-threat point guard

Lagway rushed for 957 yards and 16 touchdowns last season at Willis High. At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, he has a body that can take a beating from SEC players.

Lagway showed off some nifty moves against Miami last week, maneuvering up and down the field and preventing opposing defenses from catching their defenders.

DJ Lagway is a good student and he gives back

Lagway earned a 3.48 grade point average at Willis High School and graduated in December, allowing him to enroll early. In the community, Lagway volunteered at senior care centers and donated his time to a food bank. As a public speaker, Lagway spoke at Willis-area schools and churches, teaching younger students what it takes to succeed in school and sports.