DJ Lagway Already Blazing Trails for Florida Gators

Florida Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is the first in a relationship that could be very good for Gators recruiting.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY

Florida Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway featured in a national commercial with Gatorade during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. 

GATOR-ade 🐊@DerekLagway x @Gatorade#GoGators pic.twitter.com/BqR8tjDjbs

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) May 29, 2024

It seems only fitting that a high-profile Florida Gators recruit is featured in a Gatorade ad. The Gators should be able to take advantage of that relationship in a similar way to Oregon and Nike. 

In this ad, Lagway is joined by notable professional athletes Jayson Tatum, Josh Allen, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 

It's narrated by Michael Jordan.

One interesting detail from the ad is that Lagway was videoed with his Willis High School teammates during his part of it. 

Coming out of high school, Lagway finished the cycle ranked as the third overall prospect and first overall quarterback coming out of the 2024 class per 247 Sports. 

In his senior year at Willis, he threw for 4604 yards and 58 touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 957 yards and 16 touchdowns on just 99 carries. 

As a result of these mind-boggling stats, Gatorade awarded him with the 2023-2024 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. 

Lagway, despite not playing a single snap for the Gators, has been garnering an enormous amount of attention since his junior year of high school and commitment to the Gators. 

Now, he did participate in the Gators’ annual Orange and Blue Game. In this game, Lagway finished 12-21 for 173 yards, two touchdowns and threw one interception. 

“I think he showed he’s a competitor, and he has the ability. It wasn’t too big for him. I think that was healthy,” Head Coach Billy Napier said after the game. 

His performances throughout his career to date have only shown the importance of Napier convincing DJ Lagway to commit to the Gators and potentially becoming the next-great quarterback at the University of Florida. 

If Lagway is able to live up to all the hype surrounding his name, then it will only mean great things for the Gators in the future.