Baylor QB DJ Lagway Wins Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Honors

After throwing for over 300 yards and accounting for five total touchdowns, Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway earned his first major Big 12 award.

Oct 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback DJ Lagway (2) looks to throw the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Saturday, Baylor Bears quarterback DJ Lagway delivered a breakout performance against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Two days later, the Big 12 named him as the Offensive Player of the Week.

The honor comes on the heels of a tumultuous first month as the Bears' starting quarterback. Lagway suffered a severe ankle sprain in the season opener against the Auburn Tigers, an injury that would keep him sidelined for the next two games. When he did return for Week 4's matchup with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Lagway lacked his typical mobility.

However, Week 5's matchup with the Sun Devils showcased a healthier Lagway. Not only did he appear far more comfortable moving around the pocket, but he also managed to rip off an 11-yard touchdown on his final snap of the contest.

The cherry on top 🍒#SicEm | @DerekLagway pic.twitter.com/KhREoQJbfY

— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) October 4, 2026

Lagway's performance by the numbers

🟩 306 Passing Yards
🟩 5 Total Touchdowns@DerekLagway ➡️ @Big12Conference Offensive Player of the Week pic.twitter.com/dN9IlJoG91

— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) October 5, 2026

By strict counting statistics, Lagway's outing against the Sun Devils easily outshone his previous starts for Baylor. As a passer, he completed 62.5% of his throws while racking up 306 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks. Prior to Saturday, Lagway had never produced a game of even three touchdowns with no turnovers against an FBS opponent.

And Lagway didn't simply benefit from his receivers making big plays after the catch. According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 11.6 air yards per pass attempt. For context, backup quarterback Nate Bennett, who replaced Lagway in garbage time, averaged just 4 air yards per pass attempt.

Lagway also didn't lock into just one or two pass catchers. His four touchdown passes went to four different players, a list that does not include lead wideout Gavin Freeman. In total, three Baylor receivers had at least three catches for 62 or more yards in Week 5.

Lagway's turnaround

Jan 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; DJ Lagway, a Florida quarterback currently in the transfer portal, sits with Baylor Bears football head coach Dave Aranda, left, during the first half of a game between the Baylor Bears and Iowa State Cyclones at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Whether Lagway's performance against Arizona State can kickstart a career renaissance remains to be seen, but it does represent a meaningful step in the right direction. Before this past weekend, Lagway had never racked up 300 or more passing yards against an FBS opponent without committing at least one turnover. And while no one will confuse the Sun Devils for the 1985 Chicago Bears, the defense still entered the weekend ranked in the top 50 by ESPN's SP+  metric.

Few players have Lagway's physical talent and upside, but that alone doesn't make a quarterback effective. They need to avoid the type of mistakes that came to characterize his tenure with the Florida Gators while consistently making plays and lifting the offense.

Lagway did that on Saturday. If he stacks more high-quality performances on top of that showing, he can emerge as a bona fide NFL prospect. He told Baylor Bears On SI last month that he chose Baylor in part because of how the program could position him for the next level.

Winning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week certainly won't hurt Lagway's pro prospects.

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