Gators QB DJ Lagway to Lend a Hand on the Recruiting Trail

After an impressive freshman campaign, DJ Lagway is ready to go out there and bring more talent to Gainesville

Lagway is ready to go out there and build a contender around him / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

For most programs, coaches use recruiting pitches such as early playing time or being great at developing a certain position to try and persuade recruits to commit. However, Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier has something – or a certain someone – that could be a more effective sell. That someone is freshman phenom DJ Lagway. 

And what makes it even easier to sell Lagway to recruits is actually involving the quarterback himself in the pitches, which is what he said intends to do this offseason. 

"I'm definitely going to be involved in recruiting and the transfer portal, but the biggest thing is just trying to keep the guys that we have here,” Lagway said after the win over Florida State. 

The freshman maybe didn’t have his best game against the Seminoles. But the Gators got the win and that’s all that matters. But he definitely showed why the college football world is in love with his game at such an early stage of his career with plays like this. 

DJ Lagway is a true freshman playing like a grown man

pic.twitter.com/MhdWhRmdEC

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 1, 2024

When you show recruits and offensive players in the portal these types of plays that Lagway has made throughout the season, it’s hard to think they won’t want to play with him. He is only going to get better as he goes into his second offseason in Gainesville, first as the starting quarterback for the Gators.

Lagway also passed along a message for those entering the transfer portal this offseason. 

“You’re going to get the ball. We’re going to push the ball down the field, make some big plays and you’re going to have fun doing it,” Lagway said. 

In addition to the transfer portal targets that will soon be revealed when the season ends, the Gators also have positioned themselves in good spots with talented high school pass catchers. 

The Gators are in the running for five-star recruits Jaime Ffrench and Dallas Wilson. As for Ffrench, he stated after his recent official visit to Gainesville that the Gators definitely have a chance to flip him heading into early signing day next week. 

“DJ Lagway, the coaching staff, like, with them having another year, everything makes sense,” Ffrench said to On3 senior writer and recruiting analyst Corey Bender when asked about the Gators' chances. 

If the Gators can capitalize on the momentum generated from their on-field performances in recent weeks and use a player like DJ Lagway to their advantage in recruiting, it could be a fun and surprising offseason for the fans of those in the orange and blue.