Elite QB DJ Lagway Signs With the Gators

Five-star quarterback prospect DJ Lagway finalized his year-long commitment to the University of Florida by signing with the Gators on Wednesday.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It's official. The Billy Napier-led Gators have secured the headlining act of their 2024 class.

Prized Gators quarterback commit DJ Lagway signed his name on the dotted line of his National Letter of Intent on Early National Signing Day to make his year-long pledge to the Univeristy of Florida official. 

“My teammates can expect me to work hard everyday and the fans can expect to get my best every time I’m wearing that Orange and Blue.”

Welcome to The Swamp, @DerekLagway! #2THESW4MP pic.twitter.com/hLe3w9RGwd

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 20, 2023

The Willis (Texas) High School prospect is rated as the nation's No. 3 quarterback and No. 10 overall player in the cycle.

Aligning with the Gators initially on Dec. 7, 2022, Lagway immediately became the face of Florida's future in the Billy Napier era and a key cog in the cycle's recruitment efforts.

His presence at the top of the commitment list, and individual recruitment efforts for a myriad of fellow top prospects, played a significant role in UF's summertime success on the trail. At one point, the Gators class ranked No. 3 in the nation according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.

While other prospects have jumped ship following the 5-7 record in year two of Napier and Co.'s reign in Gainesville, Lagway remained steady in his pledge despite considerable interest from schools like Clemson, Texas A&M and USC down the stretch of his process.

He made true on his pledge with UF on Wednesday and is now slated to join the program as an early enrollee in January.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Lagway possesses the prototypical physical mold and intangibles of modern stars at the quarterback position. He displays elite arm talent with the ability to throw off-platform from several different arm slots to pair with an oft-overlooked rushing prowess. 

His senior-year contributions — accounting for 4,604 passing yards and 58 passing scores on 72.1% completion to pair with 957 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns — showcased those calling card traits while simultaneously developing his game from accuracy and pocket-passing standpoints. 

Lagway earned the MaxPreps National Player of the Year honor on Tuesday as a result.

He closes his career with the Wildkats having posted 8,393 yards, 101 touchdowns and 16 interceptions through the air with 2,197 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground over four seasons with the program, including the last three as the unrivaled starting quarterback.

Accordingly, Lagway is a highly anticipated and polished addition to the Florida quarterback room ahead of the staff's critical 2024 campaign.

Lagway is expected to be the signal-caller-in-waiting behind returning incumbent starter Graham Mertz as a true freshman, with the potential to see the field in power rushing packages to supplement the unit's ground attack. 

He'll be positioned to take over QB1 duties full-time as early as the 2025 season, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Learn more about Lagway's skill set and pledge to the Gators via his All Gators recruit profile below.

The guy. Billy Napier's tenure could ultimately be defined by Lagway's success at Florida, whom the head coach offered in March 2022 and never stopped pursuing, resulting in a commitment roughly nine months later. A well-built athlete with a strong arm that accounted for 99 touchdowns over three seasons, Lagway improved his completion percentage by 16.6 points between his first and third campaigns as Willis' starting quarterback and proved to be a sharp decision-maker with a career interception rate of just 1.8%. He also rushed for 29 scores in high school. Lagway participated in the 2023 Elite 11 Finals and was named among the nation's top passers at the event. For his senior season showing, Lagway was named National High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps. 

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