Florida Gators sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway joined head coach Billy Napier and teammates Caleb Banks and Jake Slaughter at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s rare to see a sophomore quarterback take the stand at SEC Media Days, it’s even rarer to see one handle it with as much poise and confidence as Lagway did.
The Willis, Texas native found significant playing time throughout his freshman campaign at UF, tossing for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Most importantly, Lagway went 6-1 as a starter and 6-0 in games he started and finished, turning around Florida’s 2024 season after a dreadful 4-5 start. With the pressure of his head coaches job security and playing in the toughest conference in college football as a freshman, Lagway delivered enough highlight reel plays to keep Florida afloat.
The pressure is at an all-time high in the Billy Napier era as Florida has their most talented roster in several years. For Lagway specifically, Pro Football Focus ranks him the 7th best quarterback entering the year and he lands in the top 10 for Heisman odds on almost every publication.
“I always say that pressure is a privilege,” Lagway said at SEC Media Days. “Once you have privilege, that means people are counting on you to do big things. I’m always excited when people say pressure. That’s why I just love the game day atmosphere because it feels like all eyes are on you and you’ve got to put on a show. That’s what I’m excited for.”
Dealing with high expectations can be difficult for a team or an individual player. Most Florida fans expect a playoff berth with Lagway under center, especially after winning the final four games of the 2024 season. However, Lagway and his teammates won’t get caught up in the media and fan expectations. They are simply focused on getting better each and every day.
“We’re not worried about that [expectations], we’re just worried about one day at a time, just loving on each other and getting better. That’s really what it’s about it. The brotherhood that we’ve built and the comradery that we have is just amazing. I’m just excited to showcase it to the world,” Lagway said on Florida’s expectations this season.
Florida’s schedule is daunting on paper once again. The Gators are set to face seven teams that will likely be ranked inside the preseason top 25. At SEC Media Days, Lagway and Billy Napier referred to the saying ‘spot the ball,’ a mindset the Gators referred to during their four-game winning streak to close the 2024 season.
“It doesn’t matter who we play, spot the ball. That’s our saying now,” Lagway said. “When and where? It doesn’t matter where we are, we’re going to spot the ball. That’s kind of our mindset. That’s what we took on when we went down that stretch, is spot the ball. It don’t matter who stands in front of us, they have to play the Florida Gators.”
Lagway is regarded as one of the hardest working players on the team; a first in, last out kind of guy. That intense and dedicated preparation is what guides the rising star on game day.
“The way I handle pressure and all that stuff, I kind of prepare during the week like crazy. And preparation leads to confidence,” Lagway said. “So once I get to Saturday, I already know that I put all the work in and did what I needed to do.”
“My best attribute as a quarterback is my aura, confidence, just the way I portray myself on game day,” Lagway added. “My teammates say that I’m a totally different person on gameday, and it kind of oozes out of me. It’s just great to be that for my guys.”
While the 6’3, 239-pound quarterback is stocked with confidence, he’s well aware there’s improvements to be made on the field. As a freshman, Lagway struggled progressing through his reads and recognizing different coverages. That’s been the point of emphasis this offseason.
“I’m definitely looking to improve on more coverage recognition and knowing where the defense is going to be and truly knowing their responsibilities and also knowing my teammates responsibilities better,” Lagway said.
There was a lot on Lagway’s plate last year. While the freshman was earning playing time early in the season, he was thrown into the starting role after starting quarterback Graham Mertz tore his ACL vs Tennessee. On top of that, he was battling multiple injuries of his own.
“It was a lot of things I needed to improve on. I was just out there. I was just thankful to be out there. I was hurting, I was playing through a lot of injury and adversity, early on, even before the Miami game. Just being out there, that’s all that mattered to me,” Lagway said. “I’m excited to just continue to get better. That’s all I’m focused on, just improving.”
The one thing you can’t say about DJ Lagway is he lacks confidence. Lagway looks to lead Florida to their first ever college football playoff berth in 2025.