DJ Lagway Intended to Stay with Gators...and Then the Plan Fell Apart

The Florida Gators and their quarterback didn't see eye to eye, and now he's on the way out of Gainesville

It didn't have to be this way for the Florida Gators and DJ Lagway | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

DJ Lagway shocked many on Monday morning when he announced his intentions to depart from the Florida Gators and enter the transfer portal once it opens. 

However, it may have been less of a surprise for the Gators staff based on how their final meeting went with the former five-star pass thrower. According to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, Lagway never intended to leave, but the first meeting he had with the new staff didn’t go well, resulting in his departure. 

DJ Lagway wanted to stay at Florida. But the initial meetings between Lagway and the new staff did not go well, multiple sources tell @CBSSports.

On the split and what comes next for the former 5-star recruit. https://t.co/93L6ASKGp1 pic.twitter.com/QIF0BXW6Vr

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 15, 2025

New Gators head coach Jon Sumrall questioned Lagway as a football player. The new staff opted to push him on his competitiveness and work ethic. Based on the reports, Lagway didn't see that his development was front and center.

This is a blow to the quarterback room for Gators head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Tramell Jones Jr. and Aidan Warner are next up on the roster after Lagway. 

Unsurprisingly, several schools are already entering their names in the Lagway sweepstakes. The programs to track early on in this saga are Baylor, LSU and Miami, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. 

NEW: Baylor, LSU, and Miami are early schools to watch for Florida transfer QB DJ Lagway, @PeteNakos reports👀https://t.co/R8dP9T65YY https://t.co/ldailhzBR5 pic.twitter.com/AzzvReSBfa

— On3 (@On3sports) December 15, 2025

Baylor has multiple easy connections to Lagway. His father, Derek, is a former running back for the Bears, and it is approximately two hours from his hometown of Willis, Texas. Additionally, Baylor’s starting quarterback, Sawyer Robertson, is a redshirt senior, which leaves an opening on the roster at the No. 1 spot for 2026. 

For LSU, there is some irony in the fact that they are chasing Lagway to be their guy under newly hired head coach Lane Kiffin.

As much as Lagway did not compete against the Tigers under their new head coach, he still had a nightmare of a game in Death Valley this past season. Lagway finished the game 33-for-49 with 287 passing yards, but an abysmal 1-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

Kiffin touched on Lagway’s 2025 season during his SEC teleconference meeting near the beginning of November. 

“I don’t know that I’ve seen growth,” Kiffin said. “I do know this, I watched the guy beat us last year and play great, and have one of the highest yards per completion of any player in the country last year. I know the guy can play as well as anyone in the country at times.”

He then added more fuel to the flame on Monday by retweeting On3’s announcement of Lagway’s intention to enter the transfer portal. 

Lastly, Miami’s chase for Lagway is in the same boat as LSU. Ironically, the quarterback they want to trail Carson Beck is the same one who struggled mightily in their matchup earlier in the year. 

Lagway’s performance against the Hurricanes was arguably his worst of the season, other than the LSU game. He ended 12-for-23 and had only 61 passing yards. He did not throw any interceptions this time, but also did not find the endzone. 

Either way, fans are going to have to get used to seeing Lagway in a different jersey and on a different sideline next fall.