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DJ Lagway Shines as Florida Cruises to 45-7 Victory Over Samford

Florida Gators freshman phenom DJ Lagway lived up to the hype with a record-setting performance in his first collegiate start.

Cam Parker

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway set a school record for passing yards in a freshman season.
Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway set a school record for passing yards in a freshman season. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Welcome to The Swamp, DJ Lagway. 

In his first collegiate start, the former five-star from Willis, Texas shined in the Florida Gators’ 45-7 win over Samford. Lagway completed 18 of his 25 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns, which broke the Gators’ true freshman single-game passing record previously held by Chris Leak.

“I was just locked into the task at hand,” Lagway said. “My coach is telling me one play at a time. That's what it is, just executing one play at a time. Just getting my guys involved, just getting everybody involved with the ball, that's the biggest thing.”

He’s now ninth all-time for passing yards in a game in program history. It’s also the first win by a UF freshman starting quarterback since Feliepe Franks in 2017 and first win by a UF true freshman starting quarterback since Treon Harris in 2014. 

“Very impressive. I thought he was pretty clean,” said UF head coach Billy Napier. “I think he had a mental error on the first drive. Outside of that, overall he managed it pretty well and played pretty clean.”

Lagway’s first drive was set up by a Jason Marshall Jr. forced fumble near the Bulldogs’ 40-yard line, which occurred on the game’s third play. 

It didn’t amount to anything, however, as Florida was stuffed on fourth-and-one at Samford’s 17-yard line. Lagway, a dual-threat quarterback, was moved to wide receiver as the Gators attempted a wildcat rush with Treyaun Webb, which was blown up in the backfield. 

It was the next drive, however, when Lagway’s impact was immediate. On a play-action boot, the five-star freshman unleashed a deep pass down the sideline to Elijhah Badger, which went for 77 yards. 

It was the longest pass by a UF quarterback since Anthony Richardson in 2022, when he hit Xzavier Henderson for a 78-yard score against Georgia. 

“Yeah, he's got that in him,” Napier said. “He's been battling, his arm has not necessarily been a hundred percent the last couple weeks. He's been banged up a little bit. I think he finally kind of end of the week this week was healthy. You saw that tonight.”

Montrell Johnson Jr. scored from a yard out two plays later for his second touchdown rush of the season. 

Lagway, again, went to work with a 44-yard pass on a corner route to Chimere Dike on only his third pass of the night. However, points were left off the board, once again, as Jadan Baugh fumbled into the endzone. 

It didn’t take long for Lagway and the offense to rebound. The freshman hit tight end Hayden Hansen for a 40-yard strike over the middle of the field to begin the drive, and a 22-yard pass to Badger set up another short Johnson Jr. touchdown rush. 

The seven-yard scamper was Johnson Jr.’s 30th touchdown rush of his career and 18th in a Gator uniform. 

At halftime, Lagway had already thrown for 209 yards. It was the most passing yards by a UF freshman since Franks’ 212 yards against Tennessee in 2017 and most by a UF true freshman since Harris’ 215 yards against Vanderbilt in 2014. 

It only took him one drive to open the third quarter to eclipse those marks and another to break the previously-mentioned record for passing yards in a game by a true freshman quarterback.

A 22-yard pass on a jet toss to Eugene Wilson III was followed by a 36-yard strike to Tank Hawkins for Lagway’s first-career touchdown.

“That's one of my best friends here,” Lagway said of Hawkins. “So it was a real moment to get our first touchdown together. That was pretty cool.”

A 41-yard bomb to Aidan Mizell, the redshirt freshman’s first of his career, helped add to his new UF record and the lead. 

Florida added 10 more points in the final period of play with a 25-yard field goal from Trey Smack and an 85-yard touchdown reception from Wilson III off of a jet-motion toss from Lagway. Backup quarterback Aidan Warner added a 9-yard touchdown run to cap off the night’s scoring. 

The Gators begin SEC play next week with a matchup inside The Swamp against Texas A&M, which is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. with television coverage on ABC. 

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Cam Parker

CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.com of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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