$2 million college football QB predicted to have ‘untapped potential’ after entering transfer portal

Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws the ball before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida entered 2025 with high expectations, opening the season ranked No. 15 in the AP preseason poll and widely projected to compete for a spot in the upper half of the SEC with College Football Playoff aspirations.

Instead, the Gators finished 4–8, closing the year with a 40–21 win over rival Florida State, a record that matched one of the program’s worst seasons of the past decade and fell well short of preseason expectations.

After a 3–4 start, Florida fired head coach Billy Napier, who departed with a 22–23 record across four seasons, again falling well short of expectations following his 2022 hire after a successful rebuild at Louisiana.

Receivers coach Billy Gonzales served as interim head coach, and Florida later hired Jon Sumrall as the program’s next head coach following the season.

Following the disappointing season, sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal, becoming one of the first high-profile young quarterbacks expected to be available when the window officially opens Friday.

On Monday, however, ESPN’s Max Olson included Lagway among his “26 QBs to watch” in the 2026 transfer portal and explicitly described him as having “a ton of untapped potential.”

"During his two years in college, Lagway has dealt with shoulder, core muscle, groin, hamstring and calf injuries and has missed out on valuable offseason reps and development," Olson wrote. 

"Combine those issues with a highly pressurized hot-seat situation, a head coach trying to be the offensive playcaller and injuries at receiver, and you get a messy situation and a frustrating 4-8 sophomore year that Lagway described as 'emotionally draining.'"

"There will still be teams interested in his talents regardless of his college résumé because there's a ton of untapped potential here if Lagway can find the right situation and stay healthy," Olson added.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Florida State Seminoles | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Lagway was a highly touted recruit, ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 class by Rivals, ESPN, and 247Sports, and was named the 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

He received more than 30 scholarship offers out of high school and ultimately chose Florida over programs such as Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, and Michigan State, among others.

Across two seasons at Florida, Lagway totaled 4,179 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns and 23 interceptions, including a 2025 campaign in which he threw for 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 63.2% of his passes with a 127.0 passer rating.

One of the most prominent quarterbacks in the transfer portal, Lagway also carries one of the highest NIL valuations in college football, with On3 valuing him at approximately $2 million.

Various outlets have identified several logical landing spots and programs expected to monitor Lagway closely, including Baylor (a home-state fit with family ties), LSU, Clemson (a previous finalist with recruiting history), and Miami, along with other ACC, SEC, and Big 12 programs.

Read More at College Football HQ

• College football’s leading passer announces transfer portal departure in farewell note

• Major college football program linked to 1,800 yard RB in transfer portal

• No. 1 transfer portal player heavily linked to major college football program

• $2.6 million QB ranked as No. 1 transfer in college football