QB DJ Lagway Recaps Florida Gators Offer and Visit
The Florida Gators played host to a number of prospects from all classes on March 19 when they held their third practice of spring football. One of those prospects was premier signal-caller from Willis (Texas), DJ Lagway.
Lagway entered his visit without an offer from the program out of Gainesville, but it didn’t take long for that to change. Not only did he get offered by the Gators, but the offer came from the head man himself Billy Napier.
“Coach Napier [offered me]. It’s all just a blessing honestly," Lagway told AllGators. "It’s a blessing to be here [Saturday] in Gainesville and to be able to talk to coach Napier about some ball, and really blessed that he offered me.”
Lagway is an extremely talented quarterback standing at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds with a strong arm and the ability to extend plays with his legs. He was able to talk more in-depth on what exactly Florida liked about his game that led to the offer.
“[Napier] likes that I can be a pocket passer but also extend plays, if need be, that’s a big thing he said he likes about my game," said Lagway. "He’s watched a lot of tape on me, and he said he liked how I can do that and how my pocket presence is.”
Being able to attend a spring practice provides recruits with a little insight into how things are run and how their possible future position coach will be coaching them up. Lagway was able to take all of that in on Saturday and came away impressed with him things were run under Florida’s new regime.
“What I saw right away that I haven’t seen from a lot of other schools, especially starting in the spring, was the intensity of it," Lagway observed. "The intensity was very high it was a really good atmosphere, especially for a practice. And everything was urgent, the attention to detail, it was just a really good experience to watch and see how they practice. I had a really good time.”
One of the big projects that many recruits and UF onlookers are aware of is that Florida is in the process of building a brand new, state-of-the-art football facility, which Lagway was able to learn about on his trip.
“The new football facility they’re building that really stood out to me, that’s going to be huge. That place is coming along, and I can’t wait to come back up here and see what progress is made.” Lagway said.
When asked if he had plans to come back to Florida in the future for a visit the Lone-Star state native was emphatic in his response.
“Oh yes sir, most definitely. A couple of times, definitely.”
It’s no secret that Lagway has a plethora of offers on the table already with plenty more sure to come in the future. But now that the Gators have thrown their hat into the ring, they are a serious contender for his services.
“They’re definitely high up there honestly. My mindset with the whole recruiting [process] is if you show interest in me, I’m going to show interest back. And that’s who I’m showing interest to is the schools that are showing interest in me,” Lagway said. “And [Florida] showed a lot of interest today and that’s a real big part of my recruitment.”
Lagway is in a unique position as the son of a former Division 1 athlete. His father, Derek Lagway Sr., played running back at Baylor from 1997-2001, and though the recruiting process was considerably different back then, he has been able to help his son navigate the process and give him pointers along the way.
“He’s helped me a lot, because he’s been through what I’m going through with this whole recruiting process," said Lagway. "It’s just helped me make my whole recruitment go smoother.”
Texas isn’t exactly around the corner from the state of Florida and often times prospects want to stay closer to home to play their college ball. However, that is not the case for Lagway. He says distance will not play a factor in his final decision when it finally comes down to it, which helps Florida's case.
“It doesn’t really matter to me, it’s just where I feel at home honestly, and if I can make it my home. I can make it in Alaska, if it feels like home, it’s home," Lagway said. "That’s really all I have in mind with my recruiting, wherever makes me feel comfortable, wherever has a good culture with the coaching staff and wherever feels most like home.”
Lagway still has a long way to go in his recruiting process being only a sophomore in HS, but there are certain things he is looking for in the program that will eventually secure his commitment and a few schools that are doing a great job of making him feel like a priority early.
“Just the family atmosphere, just being around the coaching staff, the training staff, the players just being all-around good people. That’s really the ultimate deal.” Lagway explained. “Most definitely I would say LSU, [Texas] A&M, and Florida. Those three have definitely made me feel like I’m at the top of their list and that I’m really important to them. That’s a real big factor for me.”
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