Ole Miss Football LB TJ Dottery Gives Scouting Report on Florida QB DJ Lagway

The Ole Miss Rebels face a dual-threat quarterback on Saturday in Florida's DJ Lagway.

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) looks to pass the ball against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels are still in "win-or-go-home" mode when it comes to the College Football Playoff conversation, and they will have a challenging test on Saturday when they face freshman quarterback DJ Lagway of the Florida Gators.

Lagway has seen action in eight games this season, and (when healthy) has been the Gators' primary signal caller since Graham Mertz tore his ACL in Week 7. Lagway has put up 1,297 passing yards and 114 rushing yards in 2024, and the Ole Miss defense knows that it will have to keep a lid on the quarterback's big-play ability in order to leave Gainesville with a win this weekend.

"I think he's very athletic," Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery said on Tuesday. "That's one thing that allows him to be so explosive, and he has a very nice arm. He gets the ball out well to his reads. I think that's what allows him to make plays on his feet because he can throw the ball."

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Ole Miss leads the country in both sacks (46) and tackles for loss (103) this season, but things carry a little bit different weight when facing a quarterback like Lagway. Still, Dottery's approach this week is the same as any other week.

"I think it's kind of the same mentality with every quarterback we've had that's been able to be mobile," Dottery said. "Contain him, keep him in the pocket and keep him contained as best as we can."

Lagway may only be a true freshman, but he's already turning heads around the Southeastern Conference as a special talent. There are inevitably some growing pains when starting a new college career, but Dottery sees something significant in Lagway, both this season and in the years to come.

In fact, the linebacker had trouble finding a comparison for Florida's field general.

"I think he stands out in his own category," Dottery said. "I think the kid's really, really good and has a lot of potential. If I had to say somebody, probably a little of South Carolina's quarterback [LaNorris Sellers]."

Ole Miss and Florida are in the early kickoff window on Saturday, slated for an 11 a.m. CT start on ABC.