The Florida Gators football program has taken blow after blow recently. Entering the 2025 season, the Gators were a strong dark horse candidate for the playoffs or at least a bowl game. Unfortunately, their season turned into a roller coaster of frustration with the team losing games they should have won while managing to pull out huge wins over teams like Texas.
In response, the school fired head coach Billy Napier and later hired Jon Sumrall, who had previously coached at Troy and Tulane. Now, 20-year-old Gators quarterback DJ Lagway has decided to enter the transfer portal.
Let’s take a look at five possible quarterbacks the Gators should target in the transfer portal to replace Lagway.
5 Transfer Portal QBs Who Could Replace DJ Lagway As the Gators New Signal Caller
With Lagway leaving, the Gators are currently left with true freshman Will Griffin and rising sophomore Tramell Jones Jr. However, neither seems ready to step into Lagway’s cleats to lead the team in 2026.
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
While rumors abound that some big names may enter the transfer portal, such as LaNorris Sellers, Sam Leavitt, and Dylan Raiola, none of them have taken that step. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some quality prospects currently in the portal.
Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame
Like Lagway, Kenny Minchey was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. Minchey entered the portal after he lost the starting job in 2025 to CJ Carr. He has made it clear that he is looking for an opportunity to lead a team and not remain a backup.
At roughly 6’1.5″, 207 pounds, Minchey is a bit shorter than the prototypical NFL quarterback. However, he is sturdy and athletic. He is said to have good instincts and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
He is considered a strong prospect as a multi-year starter, and Florida would give him the opportunity he wants to make an impact on a program now.
Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
Colton Joseph just finished his third season at Old Dominion and chose to enter the transfer portal because he is hoping for a bigger stage. With two years of eligibility remaining, Joseph is an intriguing possibility. He is a dual-threat quarterback with two seasons of starting experience. He’s completed more than 300 passes for 4,251 yards and 32 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. With Joseph under center for the Monarchs, they led the Sun Belt in passing. He would give the Gators an immediate starter who has valuable experience.
Tayven Jackson, University of Central Florida
Tayven Jackson is already playing football in Florida at UCF. He took over as the starter after Cam Fancher was injured in the first game of the season. While Jackson led the Knights to only a 5-7 record for the season, he entered the portal hoping to find a program that is a better fit.
Jackson has already transferred once, from Indiana, before the 2025 season. He was praised coming out of high school for his physical traits. He has good football instincts and proved to be both mobile and elusive.
Florida would allow Jackson the bigger stage he has been hoping for. While the Gators might be taking a bit of a gamble, many analysts believe Jackson has a high ceiling if properly developed.
Dylan Lonegren, Boston College
Dylan Lonegren was recruited by Alabama out of high school and spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide before entering the portal and transferring to Boston College. He got off to a solid start with the Eagles before entering a losing streak that led to him being benched.
Lonegren has long been credited as being a hard worker with an outstanding work ethic, and it showed in 2025 when he earned his starting job back from Grayson James. While Boston College finished near the bottom of the ACC with a 2-10 record, Lonegren threw for more than 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Aiden Chiles, Michigan State
Aiden Chiles finds himself in a situation similar to Lagway’s. He entered the portal after his head coach, Jonathan Smith, was fired, and now Chiles would like to find a guaranteed starting spot for his final season.
He has been with the Spartans for two seasons after transferring from Oregon State. However, Chiles presents a bit of a risk. He found himself benched, after starting 20 straight games, late in the 2025 season, and then an injury further sidelined him.
Regardless of his struggles, Chiles has NFL aspirations and is willing to roll the dice to try to improve his situation. During his two seasons at MSU, he played in 21 games, completing 320 passes for 3.807 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
