Five-star quarterback DJ Lagway committed to the Florida Gators on December 7th of 2022 before signing with the Orange and Blue nearly one year later during the early portion of National Signing Day.
Although the 6-2, 220-pound Texas Native stayed committed to the Gators for over a year, Florida had to fend off several teams that were interested in adding Lagway to their 2024 recruiting class.
“It was crazy, I had schools hitting me up all day and all night, it came to the last night,” Lagway said on the final week of his recruitment. “Coach Riley, Coach Sweeny, even coach Elko, they definitely put their last thing in and it definitely had me thinking until the last second, but overall I chose the Florida Gators.”
It wasn’t going to be easy to steal the five-star QB from the hands of Billy Napier and the Gators’ staff, but teams such as USC and Texas A&M took their shot for Lagway’s services.
“It definitely would have took a lot, especially with A&M since the new coaching staff and all that, but I’m 100% locked in to the Florida Gators. It definitely had me thinking a little bit, but I just prayed, talked to God, just prayed about it really,” Lagway said on what was going through his head during the late pushes.
“They tried to tell me to go where my heart at,” Lagway added on opposing staff’s message to him. “I feel like I did. I definitely built great relations with coach Elko, coach Klien even, and just all the other coaching staffs. I’m still leaving off on good terms.”
Aggies Head Coach Mike Elko made Lagway a priority when he was hired on November 27th, making Texas A&M a threat to flip Lagway from Florida in the closing days before signing day.
“I’d say Texas A&M,” Lagway said on which team made the hardest push. “USC came at the end kind of, they were kind of late on the back end of it. I’d say when coach Elko got in I was the first guy they hit up.”
Lagway said the recent negatively around the program did get into his head as well as the pressure from his peers from Willis High School, which happens to be 30 minutes away from Florida’s biggest threat, Texas A&M.
“Most definitely,” Lagway said on if the negatively around Florida’s program got to his head. “Especially at A&M, my school is like 30 minutes away from A&M, so like all the teachers, coaches, principals, they all A&M die hards. So it’s people all around the school telling me I should go to A&M. But at the end of the day like I said, I just had to pray about it, I had to make the right decision for me, not for anyone else, for me. So I feel like University of Florida was that.”
Florida’s last in-home visit sealed the deal for Lagway.
“It was amazing, It kind of sealed the deal a little bit. I’d say it was a great in-home visit, I was excited,” Lagway said on his last in-home visit with Napier.
“They really didn’t have to sell their pitch or anything. It’s just building that relationship, letting me know I’m their guy that they see the future with. That’s huge for me, I want to go somewhere I’m wanted,” Lagway added.
Lagway let Napier know he was going to sign with Florida the night before early singing day around 11:00 PM.
The process is finally over for the highly touted quarterback, who is looking forward to getting to campus and focus on turning around Florida’s program.
“I’m just ready to get to work, I just want to become the best I can be. I just can’t wait for this journey, I’m excited.”
Lagway is expected to be on campus immediately after the end of the Under Armour All-America camp / game.