Few College QBs Have More at Stake in 2026 Than DJ Lagway, and National Media Agrees

CBS Sports ranked DJ Lagway as the No. 1 boom-or-bust player in 2026. Given the QB's college career to date, who could argue otherwise?

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway takes questions from reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

DJ Lagway, the No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback in his recruiting class, came to Baylor to revitalize his football career and NFL prospects. Given the range of realistic outcomes, few (if any) players in college football have more at stake in 2026.

That marks a sizable change from the narrative surrounding Lagway a year ago. Fresh off a debut campaign in which he helped lift the Florida Gators to a 6-1 record in his starts, hype for Lagway's follow-up reached a fever pitch. He entered the year as one of the favorites to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Pro Football Focus ranked him as a top-10 quarterback entering 2025, ahead of eventual Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia. In particular, Lagway's head coach could hardly contain his excitement about the signal-caller's potential.

"He's got talent, and then all these areas that are unlimited in terms of improvement," then-Florida headman Billy Napier said of Lagway before the season. "There's room for him to go to work and get better. And that's the thing that I think about him. He is consumed with getting better."

Health negatively affected Lagway's sophomore year

Unfortunately for Lagway, injuries undermined his preparation and performance in 2025. Surgery for a sports hernia, shoulder issues, and a severe calf strain that required him to wear a walking boot forced him to miss much of the spring and summer.

"It's not ideal," Napier said of Lagway missing time. "In the perfect world, he would be perfect every day of the offseason. I think the good thing is his attitude toward it. I think that's a positive.

"He's in Year 2. I think he understands what's required to be ready. It's not ideal, but I think ultimately we'll come up with the best plan we can to have him ready."

That plan never quite came together. Over the Gators' first seven games, Lagway accounted for just nine touchdowns, threw nine interceptions, and averaged less than 7 yards per pass attempt. The team failed to reach 20 points in four of those contests, including a tilt with non-Power Four program South Florida. In large part because of the faltering offense, Florida fired Napier with five games left in the regular season.

A fresh start in Waco

With Napier out of a job and Florida's football program in flux, Lagway opted to enter the transfer portal this past December. The following month, he officially signed with Baylor, becoming the highest-rated recruit in program history.

Ostensibly, Lagway came to Waco in part because of the opportunity to play for offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. The longtime assistant coach has worked with multiple future NFL quarterbacks, including Geno Smith, Brandon Weeden, and Johnny Manziel. Last season, Baylor amassed 3,715 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes, 1,260 and 13 more, respectively, than Florida over the same number of games.

"When I had my conversations with him, and he was contemplating different places, Florida State, Kentucky, all these other places, my advice to him was, you want to go somewhere where it is on your back," Griffin said of Lagway's transfer decision, adding, "The Baylor Bears are going to sink or swim based on how DJ Lagway plays."

And for Lagway, a Willis, Texas native, transferring to Baylor represents a homecoming of sorts.

National media sees Lagway as boom-or-bust player in 2026

Given Lagway's pedigree, potential, and inconsistent performance to date, how the upcoming season unfolds will materially affect how the rest of college football and the NFL perceive him. CBS Sports made that very case on Tuesday, ranking Lagway as the No. 1 "biggest boom-or-bust player" in 2026.

"Now Baylor is betting that a homecoming unlocks the former five-star quarterback's best campaign," CBS Sports' Brad Crawford wrote in the piece. "If Lagway stays healthy and regains confidence, he could become one of the Big 12's biggest stars. If the turnover issues and durability concerns remain, Baylor's season could unravel quickly."

Baylor won't have to wait long to see Lagway tested. The team faces the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, a game in which the Bears enter as heavy underdogs.

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