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Florida Quarterback Appears in New Star-Studded Gatorade Commercial

Gator freshman DJ Lagway featured alongside Michael Jordan and today's superstars in brand's largest campaign ever

Michael Ehrlich

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws the ball during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws the ball during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA
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There is 'making a splash' and then there is what Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has been able to accomplish in his first few months in Gainesville. From signing an exclusive NIL deal with Leaf Trading Cards to launching his own apparel brand to shining in the Gators' Spring Game, Lagway has been a force both on and off the field in such a short time. However his latest move is by far his greatest, even before taking a single regular season snap for the Gators.

Lagway - the reigning Gatorade National High School Player of the Year - is featured in the global sports drink brand's latest TV commercial and biggest campaign in company history, alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and superstars Josh Allen, Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Sydney McLaughlin.

Premiering during Tuesday night's NBA Western Conference Finals, narrated by Jordan himself and featuring Travis Scott's song "FE!N," the commercial brings back Gatorade's iconic "Is It In You?" tagline.

“The return of 'Is It In You?' is another chapter in greatness for Gatorade, a brand that has fueled champions for decades and relentlessly serves athletes on and off the field," Jordan shared in a statement.

The campaign reintroduces Gatorade's concept of “IT” - what they say is "the inner drive that fuels greatness" – with an updated spin for the new generation of athletes, showcasing how the star-studded roster of MVPs, champions, gold medalists and history-makers have overcome their own obstacles by tapping into their personal “IT.”

Although he threw for 4,604 yards and 58 touchdown passes as a senior at Willis (Texas) High School - leading his team to their first district title in over two decades - Lagway could not engage in NIL opportunities due to Texas state law. He enrolled at Florida in January and alongside his team at The Network Advisory has clearly hit the ground running.

"DJ being featured in a national Gatorade commercial alongside legends like Michael Jordan is truly special," shared Justin J. Giangrande, CEO of The Network Advisory. "It says a lot that the executives at Gatorade placed their belief that DJ's on-field dominance will continue from high school to college while at University of Florida. We are thrilled to continue to help DJ and his family maximize his personal brand with first-of-its-kind partnerships like this — with more definitely to come."

Lagway officially kicks off his freshman season with the Gators on August 31 at home against interstate rival, Miami.

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Michael Ehrlich

MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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