ESPN Tabs Gators DJ Lagway in Early 2025 Heisman Discussions

The Heisman Trophy belongs to Travis Hunter in 2024. Twelve months ahead of time, a Florida Gators player is considered a contender for 2025.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach drew up his way-to-early 2025 Heisman Trophy contenders and listed quarterback DJ Lagway as one of the 14 players listed. His list was in no particular order.

Based on the small sample size, he felt that Lagway gave enough of a preview of what we could be in for next season.

“Lagway didn't become the Gators' full-time starter until senior Graham Mertz tore an ACL in a 23-17 overtime loss to Tennessee in the sixth game of the season,” Schlabach wrote. “Lagway gave Florida fans a sneak peek of what was coming when he started against FCS program Samford while Mertz was out with a concussion. Lagway broke a UF freshman record with 456 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 victory. In 11 games, Lagway threw for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns. It was enough to give the struggling program hope and keep coach Billy Napier around for another season.”

This could be just me, but this description almost underscores the impact that Lagway had on the Gators last season.

The upset wins over No. 22 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss en route to a surprise 7-5 finish to the season were omitted. So was the fact that Lagway had one of the best deep balls in college football despite being a true freshman.

That last part about saving Billy Napier’s job and giving everyone couldn't be more true, but emphasizing a win over an FCS team doesn’t help convey why that was the case, even if those were his best stats in a game this season.

The case for Lagway made by 247 Sports paints a better picture. It discusses his record as the starting quarterback and also mentions the big wins that led to a strong finish to the season.

“It is not often a true freshman alters the trajectory of an entire program, but DJ Lagway did just that. The needle points upwards at Florida for the first time since Billy Napier took the job two years ago, and it is primarily because of Lagway's emergence as a star in the making. The former five-star recruit went 5-1 in his six starts and led the Gators to three-straight victories to close the regular season, including triumphs over ranked opponents in LSU and Ole Miss. That freshman-year experience should go a long way in making Lagway one of college football's best quarterbacks over the next two to three years.”

But regardless of how his case is made, Lagway being on this list shows that he did what he had to do to build his case.

If he puts on a show in the upcoming Gasparilla Bowl, he’s only going to trend upward.