Why Stanford Didn't Land DJ Lagway in the Transfer Portal

Nov 29, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) looks to throw against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Stanford football wanted DJ Lagway, but in the end, he opted to go to Baylor. If the Cardinal had landed him, it would have been a huge splash for the program, signaling that they are serious about being competitive in the ACC in 2026.

But Lagway opted to go another direction, leaving Stanford still searching for a clear cut answer at quarterback. Well, now we know why Lagway is not coming to The Farm.

This week, CBS Sports' Chris Hummer wrote an article about the quarterback movement this offseason and why everything went down how it did. Lagway reportedly had Stanford on his short list, and was scheduled to make a visit to the school, but in the end it was the appeal of the coaching staff combined with playing at his dad's alma mater that drew him to Baylor.

"A five-star passer in the 2024 class and a two-year starter for the Gators, Lagway entered the portal in a weird place. He's an ultra-talented passer with No. 1 draft pick upside," Hummer wrote. "He's also coming off a series of major injuries and regressed in 2025. Plus, as one SEC coordinator put it to CBS Sports: "He's DJ Lagway. He's a huge name. He can scare off the rest of your room."

"Lagway received calls from those like LSU and Missouri. Mostly, however, it was a smaller group of schools pushing for him: Florida State, Virginia, Baylor and Stanford," Hummer added. "He'd visit the first three. Those around Lagway always considered it a long shot he'd pick the 'Noles. Virginia made a very strong impression. Then he made it to Baylor's campus -- the school his dad played for -- and committed to the staff. Done and done."

Stanford did manage to sign former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren while also bringing in recruits such as Michael Mitchell Jr., but the program is still trying to figure out if either one of those guys will lead the team out onto the field in week one of next season.

Seeing Elijah Brown enter the transfer portal, the Cardinal are back to square one at the quarterback position, knowing someone completely new will be under center this fall. But given the track record of new head coach Tavita Pritchard with developing quarterbacks, that might not be such a bad thing.

Pritchard comes in with a lot of work to do, needing to rebuild a struggling program back into the perennial top 25 team that they used to be back in the day. Finishing 3-9 every season from 2021-24, the Cardinal improved in '25, but still went 4-8 and showed that they are still a ways away from being a true contender in the ACC, let alone for the national championship.

The first task for Stanford will be to win enough games to earn its first bowl game berth since 2018, in order to restore faith and confidence into the program and attract the attention of some of the nation's best recruits, while also continuing to play their hand in the transfer portal to fill some of the current holes on the roster.