Decision Looming for DJ Lagway, Future with Florida Gators

Heading into a new era of Florida Gators football under head coach Jon Surmall, quarterback DJ Lagway’s future at the University is seemingly not yet decided.

Lagway, a former elite recruit once seen as the "savior" of Gators football in Gainesville, comes off a year where he did not meet his once high expectations. After an offseason riddled with injury and setbacks, the sophomore threw for 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while finishing with the 15th best PFF grade of 18 SEC quarterbacks with over 100 drop backs.

A Heisman favorite for some entering his first full season as a starter, the bad taste of a letdown year looms for Lagway as both he and the new staff work to decide his future in Orange and Blue. While unclear at the time whether he will return as Florida’s starter in 2026, the gunslinger has made his connection with the program clear.

“I care about the logo, the brand. The University of Florida has done so much for me and my family," Lagway said after Florida's win over Florida State in the season finale. "I'm truly thankful. I'm just honored to be a part of just great culture here, great fan base, everybody that's around. I'm blessed to be here. Obviously I want to see who we bring in. At this point I'm a Florida Gator. I'm happy and blessed to be here.”

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway struggled in 2025. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

While Lagway has called Florida his home, the decision to stick at the school still does not come easily and without outside factors, one being a needed mutual interest from a new staff with no relationship to the quarterback.

With Sumrall and expected new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner beginning to build their offense in Gainesville, Lagway’s fit with the new coaches will be a key factor in whether he will remain a Gator.

“On offense, when I think of Florida football, I think of aggressive, I think of explosive, I think about mixing tempos, using it to your advantage, and dictating the game to the opponent,” Sumrall said about his vision for Florida’s offense. “I think about stretching the field and threatening every blade of grass. It all starts with the quarterback and the pieces around him. We'll get elite skill players here. We've got some already; we've got to keep them.”

At his best, Lagway is undoubtedly one of the better quarterbacks in the country in regards to explosiveness and stretching the field, finishing his freshman year as the best deep ball thrower in the nation, according to PFF. However, inconsistency has plagued the young quarterback thus far.

“I'm definitely excited just to see who we bring in… but like I said, I'm just going to control what I can control,” Lagway said about his future. “I know who I am as a player, I know what I can do. Just trying to get better at my game and light it up next year.”

While some uncertainty about his future at the University remains, Lagway has unfinished business delivering on a promise he made in a tweet to Florida fans coming up on two years ago. Still pinned to his profile on X, the message continues to be something Lagway stands on.

You either gone win with us, or watch us win🐊
— LAG ✞ (@DerekLagway) December 21, 2023

“I stand on my word, for sure. In due time, you know, we're going to get this thing rolling, and we're going to look back at that tweet three or four years from now, we're going to look at it and be like, 'Yeah.'” Lagway said about the tweet. “We just got to continue to get better. We got the young pieces, we got the pieces around us. Just got to execute and continue to get better."

The transfer portal will open Jan 2., giving Lagway along with Sumrall, Faulkner and the rest of Florida’s new staff time to work out whether the talented quarterback fits into the future plans in Gainesville.

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