![Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) leaves the field after beating Florida State 40-21 during an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 29, Florida beat Florida State 40-21.2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_213,w_2775,h_1560/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/194/01kch8gmybtv2r8860zn.jpg "Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) leaves the field after beating Florida State 40-21 during an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 29, Florida beat Florida State 40-21.2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
When DJ Lagway signed with the Florida Gators, it provided a much-needed beacon of hope for the program as the Billy Napier era was off to a rough start. The 5-star quarterback from Texas seemed like the type of talent that could finally get this program back to National Championship contention after years of mediocrity.
The Gators then played Lagway against Samford after a beatdown against Miami, and it made every fan wonder why he wasn't the starter already. That sentiment proved to be true as DJ Lagway took the team on an incredible run down the end of the season in 2024.
DJ Lagway and Florida set each other up for failure
On Monday Morning, ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news that DJ Lagway would be entering the Transfer Portal. A year ago, Lagway seemed destined to make Florida a contender again, and now the two sides part ways much sooner than most would've expected.
Sources: Florida quarterback DJ Lagway intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He’s a former Top 10 recruit who was ESPN’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2024. pic.twitter.com/IjpQjUovbj
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 15, 2025
In a way, DJ Lagway set Florida and himself up for failure without even realizing it as a freshman. Lagway's success saved Billy Napier from being fired in season, to the point where he was allowed to make it to 2025. Napier then decided, rather than hiring a playcalling offensive coordinator, that he would remain the playcaller, which certainly stunted his development.
Florida doesn't always land the 5-star elite quarterbacks, which makes wasting Lagway a complete failure. As a Freshman, Lagway showed he had the traits to be a transformational star in his Sophomore and Junior seasons, but Florida didn't make the push to develop him the right way, and it'll set this program back at least a few years.
This season was far from what everyone expected from DJ Lagway with the experience he gained, but it's hard to fault him. Lagway missed most of the offseason recovering from injury, and when the season began, it looked like he was still trying to find a rhythm.
The loss of Lagway now gives new head coach Jon Sumrall his first big task as the Gators head coach. Florida will need to find a quarterback for next season, whether it's a player on the roster or via the Transfer Portal. Tramell Jones Jr has excited many in Gainesville, but he's another player this staff needs to try and retain.