Three major college football programs emerge as favorites to land Florida's DJ Lagway

Lagway is a rising junior and former five-star QB recruit who showed promise in two years at Florida before announcing he would enter the transfer portal. Now, three top programs are in hot pursuit.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The college football transfer portal is not officially open, but many players around the country have already announced their decisions whether they'll enter it or not come January. Over the weekend, one huge fish finally hit the market from the quarterback position: Florida's DJ Lagway.

A former five-star recruit and the No. 1 QB in the 2024 recruiting class, according to On3's database, Lagway spent two seasons with the Gators under head coach Billy Napier, who as you probably know, was let go midway through the 2025 season. Unfortunately for the talented young QB, his in Gainesville just didn't go too smoothly.

DJ Lagway did impress in 2024 as a true freshman and led a four-game winning streak to end the season with an 8-5 record, ironically punctuating the year with a 33-8 victory over Tulane and future Gator head coach Jon Sumrall in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. In 2025, though, Lagway dealt with injury issues off and on while the team stumbled to just a 4-8 finish which resulted in a coaching change. Now, Lagway will explore options after a new regime takes over in Gainesville.

NEW: Baylor, LSU, and Miami are early schools to watch for Florida transfer QB DJ Lagway, @PeteNakos reports👀https://t.co/R8dP9T65YY https://t.co/ldailhzBR5 pic.twitter.com/AzzvReSBfa

— On3 (@On3sports) December 15, 2025

According to On3's Pete Nakos, there are three teams to watch for DJ Lagway at the outset of his recruitment: Baylor, LSU and Miami. Those are three power conference programs hailing from different leagues but all with impressive offensive systems to boast.

Baylor coach Dave Aranda isn't coming off his hottest year, 5-7, but QB Sawyer Robertson led the Big 12 in pass yards and touchdowns while throwing for more than 300 yards per game. Wideout Josh Cameron also finished first in the B12 with 69 catches on the year. Regardless of the rest of the Bears' roster, this is a program that can pass the football. There's also the fact that Lagway's father, Derek Lagway, played at BU.

DJ Lagway under pressure from the LSU Tigers | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of course, LSU offers the allure of Lane Kiffin and the efficient hyper-modern up-tempo system he runs, that has tended to produce high-caliber quarterbacks on a yearly basis. Now, he has the revolving skill talent of Louisiana, who produces five-star wide receivers seemingly every season. If LSU wants him and matches everyone else's offer, it'd be hard for Lagway to turn the Tigers down.

Lastly, Carson Beck is showing what a trip to South Beach can do to rehabilitate your QB image after a poor season in the SEC. A true junior Lagway could find success against some less stingy pass defenses and still have a shot at dominating a power conference and getting to the College Football Playoff.

Those are three elite options for any college football quarterback. Obviously Lagway has the young age and the recruiting prestige — plus some solid tape at UF — but it's clear that even the highest-level programs are willing to take a chance on him.