Former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway heads into the 2026 season at Baylor as the expected starter. He has already pointed to head coach Dave Aranda and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital as key reasons for choosing the Bears, and the pressure and expectations surrounding him are already high.
DJ Lagway’s Fresh Start at Baylor Sparks Optimism After Challenging Florida Run
In the latest episode of the “Bunch Information” podcast on Monday, Chris Vannini and David Ubben discussed Lagway in the context of his recent transfer and his performance during his time at Florida.
I’m a big fan of Jake Spavital,” Ubben said (46:45). “I think he’s a really good coach. I think DJ Lagway (is) going somewhere where he needs to be good, but there’s a little bit more capital built up with his family there. They’re not asking like Florida felt like they were kind of asking him to be a deity, and when he wasn’t, I think it went sideways on him in a hurry.
“We mentioned in the offseason that you need to take care of the ball more. It felt like he was really careless and made some decisions. It’s like that’s a bad decision. Why are you throwing that ball? That’s crazy. It’s like you’re not invested in every decision that you’re making. With some of these guys, a fresh start can really do wonders for you. Obviously, the talent is there, and if the decision making and if things start clicking for you, you really raise that upside a lot at Baylor.”
Lagway arrived at Florida as a five-star quarterback and was seen as a key piece of the Gators’ future. His freshman season in 2024 showed glimpses of elite downfield ability and set high expectations for 2025.
However, Lagway’s second season in 2025 was plagued by injuries. He seemed uncomfortable in the pocket and was unable to find rhythm, finishing the season with 14 interceptions. A low point in the season came in the 38-7 loss to Kentucky, where he threw three first-half picks before being briefly replaced by freshman Tramell Jones Jr. He finished last season with a 71.2 PFSN QB Impact Score, ranking No. 145 nationally.
Last season didn’t go as planned for Lagway, but he is focused on resetting physically and mentally ahead of the 2026 season.
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“My biggest thing is, I want to continue to stay steady on my diet, continue to eat right and be able to shed more weight off of me,” Lagway said, via SI. “My goal is to be lighter this year, be able to run, and be able to last long throughout the season, and be able to do whatever my team needs for us to win games.”
Many believe Lagway is the greatest thing to happen to Baylor football since Robert Griffin III. With Spavital’s history of developing quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Johnny Manziel, there is optimism that Lagway could rediscover his ceiling and become a breakout star in 2026 if everything clicks.
