Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) against the South Florida Bulls during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
When former five-star recruit DJ Lagway walked onto campus and joined the Florida Gators football program, he was expected to be the savior for head coach Billy Napier.
By the time that Lagway left the program, after Napier was fired midway through the 2025 college football season, the Texas native was beginning to doubt that even God still had his back.
Now at Baylor, Lagway is beginning to regain his faith, but it wasn’t a straightforward path.
DJ Lagway Had A Rough Go Of Things Under Billy Napier At Florida
At 6-foot-3 and 237 pounds with good mobility and a rocket-launcher of a right arm, it’s easy to see why the Gators were excited about Lagway’s upside.
But he was thrown into the fire on a struggling team in 2024, and it proved too much for even the talented freshman to save.
Lagway completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, which was at least enough to raise expectations for 2025. But a lingering shoulder issue kept Lagway from having a full offseason worth of practice, and things didn’t get much better on the field.
Lagway saw a slight rise in completion percentage, at 63.3 percent, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-14 was still troublesome, and the Gators never hit their stride, going 4-8 and getting Napier canned along the way.
The Struggles Wore On Him
In a recent interview with Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Nikita Lagway, DJ’s mother, revealed an interaction with her son that caused her concern.
God’s got you,” Nikita told her son.
“Momma, I think God forgot about me,” he responded.
“They thought about him as some kind of savior,” Nikita told Dellenger. “He’s just a kid.”
Now, Lagway is set for his junior season in Waco, just two hours from home. And Lagway is already feeling more comfortable.
“Life down here is slower,” Lagway told Dellenger. “I’m thankful for that.”
Perhaps it won’t be a fix for all of his on-field issues. But it’s clear that Lagway is more at peace with the Bears, and that could be bad for the rest of the Big 12.