Billy Napier and Co. Visit Prized Florida Commits DJ Lagway, Xavier Filsaime

Florida's coaching staff made a pair of pivotal recruiting visits on Wednesday evening, meeting with Gators commitments DJ Lagway and Xavier Filsaime.

Photo: Florida head coach Billy Napier; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Members of Florida's coaching staff made two pivotal stops in the Lone Star State during their postseason recruiting travels on Wednesday evening.

It was Will Harris who first made waves when prized Florida safety commitment — and believed flip candidate — Xavier Filsaime posted a picture from his first meeting with the Gators' new secondary coach, two days after Harris' hiring and two days before Filsaime is scheduled to officially visit Texas.

@CoachWillHarris 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/46Os9oJEsU

— Xavier Filsaime🇭🇹 (@XEF_19) December 14, 2023

35 minutes later, franchise quarterback pledge DJ Lagway shared a photo from dinner with Florida head coach Billy Napier, running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, Lagway's family and his quarterback trainer, J.P. Tillman.

Family❤️🐊 pic.twitter.com/FNF8knPDJP

— LAG ✞ (@DerekLagway) December 14, 2023

Two leaders of Florida's 2024 commitment haul, with Lagway having been committed since Dec. 2022 and Filsaime since April of this year, their meetings with UF's coaching staff one week before signing day is of importance while other programs lurk and pry for their pledges.

Both are consensus five-star prospects and are being courted as such.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and safeties coach Blake Gideon visited Filsaime in-home last week before his official trip to UT-Austin this weekend. New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is reported to have done the same with Lagway last week.

However, both remain publicly committed to Florida at this time, helping UF maintain its top-five-ranked recruiting class as the 2024 cycle nears its end. 

Lagway, 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, is regarded as the No. 3 quarterback and No. 14 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings. He completed 568-of-865 passing attempts for 8,393 yards with 101 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in high school, adding 2,197 yards and 29 scores rushing.

Lagway's 59 passing touchdowns as a senior broke former Southlake Carroll, Alabama and NFL quarterback Greg McElroy's single-season record among Texas 6A/5A high school quarterbacks of 56 throwing scores, which was set in 2005. 

The composite No. 2 safety and No. 31 overall recruit, Filsaime accumulated 156 tackles including one for loss, two interceptions, nine defended passes, five forced fumbles and a blocked punt over two varsity seasons at defensive back. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Filsaime played wide receiver before moving to the secondary as a junior.

The class of 2024 early signing period will begin on Wednesday and span between Dec. 20-22, 2023. 

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