Baylor OC Jake Spavital's history with QBs show DJ Lagway is in for a breakout season
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To say that Baylor football is coming into a big season would likely be an understatement. Head Coach Dave Aranda needs a big year, and so does the rest of the program, after finishing 5-7 and 3-6 in conference play in 2025.
RELATED: Baylor transfer portal tracker: Every player coming in and out of the program in 2026
One big piece of the puzzle is in the fold now with former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway committing to Baylor out of the transfer portal -- with a signing reportedly in the near future.
Lagway was just 4-8 in his lone season as the full-time starter with the Gators, but flashed some potential, throwing 16 touchdown passes. He’ll need to take better care of the ball than he did, as he was picked off 14 times.
The reality is that Lagway needs Baylor, and Baylor needs him.
The man tasked with getting the most out of the son of former Bears running back Derek Lagway, is offensive coordinator Jake Spavital.
The good news?
Spavital’s track record certainly lends you to believe that he’s the right man to get the most out of him.
The reality in the sport of football, regardless of the level, is if you don’t have a quarterback, you likely do not have a chance.
That’s why teams like Indiana and Miami, who are playing in the national championship game on Monday night, spent big bucks in the portal to get their respective signal callers.
Spavital's Big Break
The biggest feather in Spavital’s cap is that he was the quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M in 2013.
Who was the quarterback for Texas A&M during that season? Reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel.
Manziel took the college football world by storm as a freshman, beating Alabama in electric fashion and putting the Aggies to the Cotton Bowl.
Manziel did not win the Heisman under Spavital, but he was still excellent in his second season for the Aggies.
That helped earn a promotion for Spavital to the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach before he and the Aggies would part ways following the 2015 season.
Spavital bounced around between California, Texas State, and West Virginia before ending up at Baylor.
He was also a grad assistant at Oklahoma State when Dana Holgorsen was the offensive coordinator there. Holgorsen, with the help of Spavital, helped Brandon Weeden have a breakout season, and eventually get drafted in the first round.
Lagway doesn’t need to be a first-round pick to be a success at Baylor, but they do need him to be better than he was at Florida, and live up to his immense potential.
Heisman Trophy Pupil
Fernando Mendoza was one of his most recent pupils when Spavital was at California.
Mendoza was excellent for the Golden Bears before moving on to Indiana, where he has since won the Heisman Trophy and is on the doorstep of being a national champion.
He’ll likely be the first pick in April’s draft as well.
The pieces are in place. The hope now for the Bears is that spring ball, and offseason work can lead to an immense improvement leading into fall camp.
If that happens, Baylor’s offense could be in line for a big year.
More from Baylor on SI
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- Baylor loses standout specialist to the transfer portal
- Torrid Shooting, Fast Start, Helps Baylor Earn its first Conference Victory
- Baylor adds explosive playmaker Dre’lon Miller to revamped wide receiver room
- Baylor lands former JUCO star and third-leading tackler from Georgia State
Jacob Westendorf is a contributing writer for Baylor Bears on SI. He is also a writer covering the Green Bay Packers for Packers on SI. Westendorf graduated from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism and mass media. He worked in newspapers in Green Bay and Rockford, Illinois. He also interned at Packer Report for Bill Huber while earning his degree. In 2018, he became a staff writer for PackerReport.com, and a regular contributor on Packer Report's "Pack A Day Podcast." In 2020, he founded the media company Game On Wisconsin. In 2023, he rejoined Packer Central, which is part of Sports Illustrated Media Group.