Formerly $3.7 Million College Football QB Predicted to Bounce Back in 2026

Even the best players have difficult patches in college football. The 2025 season seemingly showcased a lot of that phenomenon at the quarterback position. Arch Manning disappointed, LaNorris Sellers struggled, Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar all took a step back, but another QB had the toughest run of all.

Predicted as a Heisman contender on a top 25 team, this player was consistently among the lowest-rated passers in his conference and his team skittered through a losing season that got their head coach fired. But 2026 brings a new opportunity-- and a new location-- and the talented passer in question has every shot at a greatly improved year.

The Bounce-Back QB

Former Florida QB DJ Lagway is the passer who saw his stock likely crash the most in 2025. Lagway was the No. 1 QB in the nation as a prep prospect in 2024. He picked the Gators and showed flashes of excellence as Florida rallied after an injury to starting QB Graham Mertz. Lagway passed for 1,915 yards and a dozen touchdowns, averaging 10 yards per pass.

Heading into 2025, the outlook was bright for Florida and Lagway. But Florida's 5-7 season included a 16-touchdown, 14-interception performance from Lagway, who also saw his yards per pass dip from 10.0 to 6.7. Lagway passed for just 61 yards against Miami and failed to reach 100 yards while throwing three interceptions against a Kentucky team that also failed to make a bowl game.

Lagway's NIL valuation, once as high as $3.7 million, dipped to $2 million by the time that he entered the transfer portal. It's currently below $1.5 million per On3's NIL valuation, and may continue dropping. Lagway made the decision to restart his career at Baylor, closer to his Texas home and the school where his dad once played football.

A fresh start for Lagway

It should be a nice transition. CBSSports singled out Lagway as one of the top players poised for a bounce-back season in 2026. "He joins a vastly more quarterback friendly situation," noted Shehan Jeyarajah. Pointing out that Baylor finished fourth in the nation in passing offense last year (Florida finished 93rd), Jeyarajah concludes that Lagway "should instantly step in as one of the most productive passers in the Big 12."

After two seasons of mostly uneven returns in the SEC, Lagway does get the benefit of a great opportunity at a reboot. If he succeeds, all those recruiting analysts who thought he was the next superstar will get a chance to have their day in the sun.

Baylor coach Dave Aranda nabbed Lagway to be his starting QB in 2026. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images