Why the Best May Be Yet to Come for DJ Lagway, Baylor Offense
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Through DJ Lagway’s first two starts, the Bears have shown signs of what could develop into a high-octane offense. Lagway has been slinging the ball so far, throwing for 554 yards on 93 attempts. But as he regains mobility after suffering an ankle sprain against Auburn, Jake Spavital could begin working designed runs for the 6-foot-3, 237-pound quarterback back into the offense, giving opposing defenses another threat to account for.
How the Coaching Staff Wants to Use Lagway's Legs
During his two seasons at Florida, the Gators used Lagway on read-option plays and designed quarterback runs to take advantage of his size and athleticism. According to Pro Football Focus, Lagway totaled 245 yards on designed runs and another 187 on scrambles over 93 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt when excluding sacks.
During an April interview on The John Morris Show, Spavital said Baylor’s offense would emphasize choice routes, something Lagway had never worked with before, allowing receivers to adjust based on the defense’s coverage. The spacing in Baylor's offense could also create more room for Lagway to use his legs, something Spavital said he planned to take advantage of.
“With the element of the QB run, and the force that he has, because he’s a massive kid, and he can move really fast as well,” Spavital said, adding, “There’s been times where he’s had to get north and south, and he’s knocking over offensive linemen … trying to get the first down.”
Of course, the coaching staff might advise Lagway to avoid another Superman-like hurdle like the one that resulted in a turnover and injury on his first drive as Baylor’s starter.
Spavital also praised Lagway’s ability to extend plays, comparing his scrambling ability to Johnny Manziel and Will Grier, two quarterbacks he previously coached.
“We’ve been teaching scramble drill like crazy, because that’s where some home run shots can happen, and DJ has got that capability,” Spavital said.
Those plans carried into the season, with Aranda revealing after the Auburn game that Baylor had planned to feature the run more heavily before Lagway went down, including several designed quarterback runs in short-yardage situations.
A Boost for the Backfield, More Growth Through the Air
If and when Lagway’s mobility becomes a factor again, it could open things up for the entire offense. Defenses would have to respect his ability to keep the ball, making it harder to crash down on the running back and potentially providing a much-needed boost to a backfield averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. It could also make things easier through the air by giving defenses one more thing to worry about.
Baylor’s offense has already shown flashes of explosiveness, most notably on a 28-yard fourth-down completion to Gavin Freeman against Auburn and a go-ahead 33-yard touchdown to Jadon Porter against Colorado. Still, Lagway has completed about 50% of his passes through two starts, including 9 of 21 throws between 10 and 19 yards downfield and 7 of 20 from 20 yards or more, according to Punt & Rally.
If Lagway can become more consistent through the air while becoming a factor on the ground again, we may only be getting a glimpse of what this offense could eventually become. His next chance to improve comes Saturday night against Arizona State, Baylor’s first true road test this year.
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Blake Hollingsworth is a Baylor University graduate who began covering sports with the Baylor Roundup yearbook, where he wrote about Baylor athletics. He later worked as a reporter for the Waco Tribune-Herald, covering breaking news and enterprise stories. A lifelong sports fan, Blake enjoys telling in-depth stories that give fans greater insight into the teams and athletes they follow.