Lagway Backing Up 'Guarantee' with Gators' Upset Over Texas

DJ Lagway guaranteed Florida would play better after a loss to Miami. Florida's win over Texas was step one in keeping that promise.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway set a season-high for passing yards with two touchdowns against Texas. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- 14 days after DJ Lagway stood in front of the media guaranteeing change, the young Florida Gators quarterback delivered it in what felt like a possible turning point for the Billy Napier-led Gators in 2025.

"It's been hard, but you can tell we're going to get things changed for sure. I guarantee that," Lagway said after dropping to 1-3 with a loss to rival Miami. "I can guarantee that. This is not acceptable at all. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you all and make this seem like this is okay. This isn't okay. We've got to play better football and it starts with me."

The guarantee again drew comparisons for Lagway and another former five-star dual-threat Gators quarterback, yet unlike Tim Tebow's ‘promise’ made after the No. 4 Gators team in 2008 lost just their first game of the season, Lagway’s sentiment needed urgency, likely one loss away from a season being completely lost in Week 6.

Against heavy odds, Lagway and the Gators would extend their season, if for just another week, while the gunslinger would return to form, possibly playing the best game of his career in the 29-21 upset win over No. 9 Texas.

“I think what motivates him is doing his job for his guys… Let's take our guys and go beat him and his guys, if that makes sense. I think ultimately that's when he's at his best, when that's consuming him and he's grinding, ” Napier said on Lagway after the win. “He flips that switch and kind of gets into that competitive spirit… I would say it was the first time I kind of saw he can kind of get in that place as a competitor… You kind of saw it out there tonight.”

55 YARDS TO THE HOUSE‼️

Dallas Wilson is special. pic.twitter.com/di7xjmCzBn

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 4, 2025

Passing for 298 yards, the most in his career against an SEC opponent, and completing 75 percent of his attempts, Lagway’s performance was what many predicted from him this entire year, aiding Florida’s offensive ‘pop’ he claimed was imminent. While others seemed to lose confidence in the Texas native, his faith never wavered.

“If I haven't figured it out yet, God always has a plan. It may not always look how you want it to look, but at the end of the day, God has a plan for you, and at the end of the day you've just got to rely on him and give it to him," Lagway said. “We had momentum; I couldn't let a moment like that go to waste, so I had to go out there and compete with my teammates and lean on my guys to make plays for me.”

GROWN MAN CATCH 🕸️

VB3 doin his thing. pic.twitter.com/EVlmE1Fdf5

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 4, 2025

Now 2-3 and still needing perfection to keep a sliver of hope, the same resilience that a similar Gators team embodied last season looked to return to Gainesville on Saturday. Though once seemingly bleeding out, Florida found momentum, continuing to fight while others may have quit.

“We're fighting for all of each other. It's us against the world; that's our mentality. That's kind of how we approach every single day and keep our heads down and continue to work,” Lagway said. “I feel like when we're in this industry, in this game, you've got to always have the next day mentality. Just focus on the moment.”

While delivering on his guarantee in his first attempt, Lagway and Florida still have a long journey to redemption, with consistency remaining the biggest question. Still with their head just above water, the win could be a start to something special, or just another glimpse into what could have been with this roster under Napier.