DJ Lagway's QB Coach JP Tillman Recaps Florida Commit's Elite 11 Day One

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway impressed during day one of the Elite 11 event. What did his QB coach JP Tillman have to say about the outing?

Photo: DJ Lagway; Credit: Zach Goodall 

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Florida Gators quarterback commit DJ Lagway shined on day one of the Elite 11 Finals on Wednesday evening.

As the first signal-caller to step off the star-studded bus of competitors, Lagway immediately made his presence felt as the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder presented a noticeably imposing frame while leading the pack onto the Redondo Union High School field. The presence continued to loom as the night rolled on. 

He affirmed the praise he's garnered as a 2024 prospect with his presentation during the group passing drills portion of the three-day event. 

Many onlookers left impressed with the showing he produced. Lagway's camp, including his father, Derek Lagway Sr. and quarterback coach JP Tillman, expected what they witnessed, given what they see daily.

"I thought he had a great first day," Tillman told All Gators following its conclusion. "I thought he came out and was able to really show the things that maybe people didn't get to see in the first regional, like more of the reason why they, you know, asked him to come. Because he is who we all think he is."

Showcasing his elite arm talent at a high clip, the Willis (Texas) native not only produced in the accuracy department but performed with noticeable poise and confidence throughout the evening. He quickly nixed some of the questions regarding his consistency in the camp setting and earned Sports Illustrated FanNation's Top Performer award. 

He produced arguably the best throw of the rail shot challenge on his trial pass, sending a beautifully placed dart over the right shoulder into the hands of his intended wideout just above head level. 

This was @DerekLagway’s warmup throw in the Elite 11 rail shot competition.

Great throw and even better catch. pic.twitter.com/Lx07Mnl8e1

— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) June 15, 2023

His second and third throws proved equally fruitful, moving him forward in the challenge to stand as one of four remaining contestants.

Despite a slightly overthrown pass on his fourth attempt — a close ball that sailed just over the fingertips of the outstretched arms of his target, effectively eliminating him — Lagway's attributes of arm strength and precision remained during the highlight station of the evening.

'The rail shot, it's an awesome thing," Tillman said. "You see it on TV all the time, right? Like, a 30-yard throw, how hard could that be? But, after a while, these kids made it look really, really easy. I think he made it to the top four guys. I mean, all four of those guys really are great throwers of the football."

His run into the top four was a microcosm of an overall admirable night one.

"I mean, he really showed his ability. He really showed his talent and skill level," said Tillman. "I think everybody wants to see how accurate he is. I think he went through this whole day showing that. 

"I didn't see too many balls hitting the ground. I didn't see too many balls just not looking like he had control." 

In an event featuring 20 of the nation's top passers, Lagway entered with the mindset of soaking in the experience at the highest level of competition for the position. 

Tillman, a near-finalist during his own recruitment process as a 2006 prospect, encouraged his protégé to strive for more than the mere top prize — which can often result in internal disappointment. Don't chase after the MVP crown, he said.

Instead, his main message to Lagway before they arrived in Los Angeles rested in the lauded Elite 11 being another learning opportunity, as some of the game's brightest, and well-accoladed, coaching minds took center stage to help mold the next generation of passers.

"We had goals to go out there and put our best foot forward," Tillman said. "It's a competitive event, but it's also learning. It's a place to learn. It's a place to grow. It's a place to connect with other guys, being able to get those moments out here and embrace them, you know, not taking anything slight, not taking anything for granted. This is like a crazy opportunity and I think it's probably easier to get drafted in the NBA than to be selected as part of Elite 11. 

"So, you know, just embracing that and just allowing that to manifest itself as this goes on. He just wants to leave here better."

His progression advancing into day two — expected to provide a look at the passers in a pro-day environment — will be intriguing.

However, the priority emphasis for the Gators' quarterback commit will be to control the mental aspect of his game, not allowing his emotions to fluctuate depending on the previous day's performance or on a throw-by-throw basis.

"I think for DJ, we talk a lot about mental because he practices, he trains so hard on just understanding his body. ... We talk about how it's mentally just being engaged, not letting too much, you know, weigh you but trying to just stay in the sweet spot the whole time as we go through this. Not be too excited, not get too emotional. Keep it a learning environment but stay competitive, stay focused."

That will be the ask of Lagway moving into Thursday and Friday. However, Tillman is confident in the future Florida Gator to swiftly answer the call after a promising opening night showing.

"Tomorrow, I think he's gonna be even more on top of his game."

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