Once-Hyped 5-Star QB Projected to Bust in Make-or-Break 2026 Season

A college football media pundit believes this former five-star quarterback will bust in 2026.

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

2026 is the last opportunity for many key figures in college football to prove themselves worthy of their positions.

From a coaching standpoint, several head coaches desperately need to guide their programs to a winning season in order to maintain their job security. For many players, it is the final season to showcase their potential as a future NFL star to the rest of the football world.

Cooper Petagna of CBS Sports unveiled a list of the eight college football players who desperately need to meet their fan base's expectations in 2026. The first player featured on Petagna's list is Baylor transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, who enters his third season of college football.

Florida career

The 6-foot-3, 247-pounder was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2024 when he signed with the Gators out of high school.

Lagway's first collegiate start was a promising one; he completed 18 of 25 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns in Florida's 45-7 win over Samford.

When incumbent starter Graham Mertz returned from a concussion he suffered in the Gators' season opener, Billy Napier decided to play Lagway every third possession while Mertz played the first two. Napier's hand was ultimately forced by an ACL tear Mertz sustained, thrusting Lagway into the starting role for the back half of the season.

The Gators won five of the six games Lagway started, including a pair of ranked home wins over LSU and Ole Miss. He finished the year with 1,915 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Lagway's encore performance did not feature the jump in production many expected. He threw for 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2025, and the Gators parted ways with Napier seven games into the season.

Why Lagway could flame out at Baylor

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda against the Arizona Wildcats at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The most frustrating aspect of Lagway's game is his inconsistency. Will the guy who quarterbacked Florida to an upset victory over Texas take the field at Baylor, or will it be the guy who threw five interceptions in a road loss to LSU?

Lagway transferred to Baylor as a legacy; his father, Derek Lagway, played running back for the Bears from 1997-2001. While the expectations at Baylor are lower than those of Florida, he follows an extremely productive passer in Sawyer Robertson, who finished 2025 with 3,681 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes.

As Petagna alluded to when describing Lagway's bust potential, he jumped from one volatile situation to another by transferring to Baylor. Dave Aranda has only guided the Bears to two winning seasons in his seven-year tenure, firmly placing him in one of the hottest seats in the country.

Auburn presents a familiar foe for Lagway in Byrum Brown. The two dueled in the second weekend of the 2025 season, an 18-16 upset win for USF that began the downward spiral for the Gators last year.

Baylor has to capitalize on the front end of Big 12 play if it wants to finish 2026 with a winning record. Road games at BYU and Houston, along with a home finale against Texas Tech, make up a challenging end to the Bears' 2026 schedule.