Baylor QB DJ Lagway Heavily Disrespected in ESPN's New 2026 Tier Rankings

Lagway was once praised as a five-star QB and the No. 3 player, but now, he's towards the bottom of the totem pole.

DJ Lagway and Jadon Porter celebrating a score in Spring Ball | @BUFootball on X

When DJ Lagway opted to sign with the Florida Gators coming out of high school, he was viewed as the No. 3 player in the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports. The five-star gunslinger out of Willis (TX) was heading all the way East to play for the Gators and nothing turned out as planned.

After two seasons of up-and-down football, Lagway is back in Texas and suiting up for Baylor for potentially two seasons. And while he was once a highly-touted signal caller, he isn't getting the same treatment by national analysts.

Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN's Dave Hale recently came out with his QB tier system, ranking all 138 quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 season, and he had 25 tiers in total. Lagway, and 11 other quarterbacks, landed in Tier 14 labeled 'living dangerously'.

"At one point, the QBs in this tier were rising stars, the hope for a program. Just last year, Lagway was among the hottest names in the sport....But not everyone progresses in a straight line. Heck, some guys don't progress. So, Tier 14 represents dimmed prospects and enough hope for the future to make these players intriguing...Betting on Daniels saving Mike Norvell at FSU or Lagway reviving Dave Aranda's tenure at Baylor? Maybe reconsider," Hale wrote.

Give Lagway some respect, right?

Hale pointed out in his piece that during Lagway's two seasons at Florida, he went 4-8 against Power 4 teams with a winning record. He threw 17 touchdowns and had 16 turnovers. But against lower competition, he went 6-1, while having 12 touchdowns to eight turnovers.

Here's the bottom line when it comes to Lagway: He wasn't in a great situation at Florida. Not only did Lagway have some injuries, but the SEC is a different brand of football with mounting pressure on your shoulders. Billy Napier wasn't in the best spot and it was clear the fanbase was done with him.

Same thing in Baylor with Dave Aranda? Probably. But, whether you want to admit it or not, the SEC and Big 12 are two completely different conferences and the spotlight on Lagway isn't nearly as big as it was on him during his time with the Gators.

DJ Lagway's Instagram Account

Lagway might have had some issues with turnovers, but that is expected to get corrected playing under Jake Spavital in Waco. He has done well with all the quarterbacks he's coached, and with Lagway's talent, the ceiling is extremely high.

There were several names ranked above Lagway who have done NOTHING in college football, and it's silly. Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech) was in Tier 11, and placing Alabama's Keelon Russell in Tier 7 — a five-star freshman — feels risky after talking about Lagway's difficult time as a freshman.

These rankings are for offseason talk, and mean nothing, but it's clear Lagway will come to Baylor with a chip on his shoulder and with the playmakers Dave Aranda has been able to surround him with, Lagway has a chance for a resurgence in 2026.