DJ Lagway transferred to Baylor in January after enduring two difficult seasons in Florida, during which he practiced self-imposed isolation. In a new environment in Waco, where he attends regular school without pressure, the former No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2024 works to deal with missed time under head coach Dave Aranda.
Why Dave Aranda’s Coaching Style Stood Out to DJ Lagway
Lagway talks about Aranda’s leadership during the first two months after he transferred from Florida. He values how Aranda connects with the team, noting that the 49-year-old coach is hands-on and takes time to talk with players during practice.
“The way he leads, he leads by example,” Lagway said. “One thing that really stood out to me is we’re in the gym and usually the coaches, they’re all gone in the morning and we got lifting sessions at 7 a.m. He’s in the locker room with us talking. That was kind of different to me.”
DJ Lagway on Dave Aranda’s leadership 👀
“The way he leads… he leads by example… we got lifts at 7 AM he’s in the locker room with us… That was different.”
Early buy-in is real. #Baylor #sicembears @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/8Q7DZ9ID7b
— Victoria Samuels (@vicsamuels) March 29, 2026
Lagway believed that Aranda’s effort to help the new players adapt to the Baylor football system would be very helpful, especially since the Bears aim to regain relevance after going 5-7 (3-6 Big 12) last season.
“The way he’s hands-on with the guys means a lot to me and the guys as well. He really wants us to connect and I love that. That just shows the type of leader he is and the type of things he preaches,” the Baylor quarterback added.
READ MORE: Sawyer Robertson Vows to Help DJ Lagway Transition After ‘Big Name’ Transfer
Lagway’s enthusiastic tone has been loud and clear since he transferred to Baylor after two seasons with Florida. Although he played 19 games under former head coach Billy Napier, he felt depressed and isolated at Gainesville, especially because he sustained significant injuries that affected his development as a first-choice quarterback.
He was forced to pursue online classes to avoid the rush and crush of fans eager to get a piece of him as a top football prospect and, more recently, the signal-caller who had led Florida to a disappointing 2025 season after starting the first two weeks inside the AP Top 25 poll. Lagway described the situation there as if he were “in a bubble.”
“I didn’t feel like a normal person. I didn’t even know what the campus looked like. I was really closed off,” Lagway said in an interview. “I didn’t really hang out with my teammates. Yeah, I was depressed. I just stayed in my own lane. Stayed out of the way.”
Along with team information that he is not scheduled to practice due to the injuries he sustained during the season, the loneliness and disappointment seemed to have built up for the 20-year-old Lagway, forcing him to change course and enter the transfer portal, where Baylor eventually signed him.
Now he is in Waco, adapting to a new system and a different way of life as a student-athlete. Lagway now attends classes in a traditional classroom, and during spring break, he makes an effort to familiarize himself with the Bears’ playbook.
He uses German-made software that quickly enhances progressions and decision-making by generating team- and scheme-specific options without the physical wear and tear of a typical game.
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The software has helped former college football standouts like Jayden Daniels and Fernando Mendoza, and the Baylor quarterback hopes it will work wonders for him as well in the upcoming season.
Baylor kicks off its season on Sept. 5 against Auburn at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the Aflac Kickoff Game. The Bears will play their home opener against Prairie View A&M on Sept. 12 at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.
