College Football HQ

$2 million QB schedules ACC visits as recruitment battle heats up

An SEC passer seems to be favoring the ACC in his search for a new landing spot.
Joe Cox|
One top portal QB seems to be making the round of the ACC.
One top portal QB seems to be making the round of the ACC. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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One of the underrated elements of the transfer portal is the chance to try out a new league. While some players transfer within a conference, for others a chance to try college football in a different atmosphere is a significant selling point.

There have obviously been plenty of success stories in that realm-- SEC transfer Carson Beck heading to Miami in the ACC and ACC transfer Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman Trophy in the Big Ten jump to mind. One of the top current portal QBs is seemingly leaning toward a similar change.

Former Florida QB DJ Lagway seems to be following an ACC-heavy path so far in his transfer portal journey. Lagway took his first visit of the portal season to Florida State, where Mike Norvell's team is looking to rebuild significantly in 2026. Lagway, who was valued at $2 million in On3Sports's NIL valuation totals, could be a significant part of that rebuilding move.

Both Lagway and UNLV QB Anthony Colandrea are in the mix at FSU, where Thomas Castellanos provided up-and-down returns in 2025 off his own transfer from Boston College.

Lagway is also slated to visit Virginia this evening. UVA won 11 games with North Texas transfer Chandler Morris running the offense in 2025. But Morris is a senior and the Cavaliers, not noted as a potential choice for Lagway at the beginning of his portal decision, may be gaining some ground.

Other (ACC?) visits ahead

Lagway is reportedly looking to take more visits. While those plans haven't been spelled out completely, Clemson is a school that has been repeatedly mentioned as a landing spot for Lagway. Cade Klubnik was also a senior and Lagway's two years of remaining eligibility could make him an attractive option for Dabo Swinney's team.

Baylor is another school (and yes, a non-ACC one) that has been mentioned in connection with Lagway. His father, Derek, played at the school and Lagway hails from Texas, essentially a short jaunt away from Waco. Baylor has its own QB situation with senior Sawyer Robertson heading off to try to crack an NFL roster.

Lagway was a five-star recruit out of high school and has flashed top-level skills at times in his Florida career. Consistency has been a significant issue, although that probably hasn't been helped by spending two seasons with a team bearing a total 12-13 record.

Lagway has passed for 4,179 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing 23 interceptions. He took over as a true freshman in midseason of 2024 after an injury to Graham Mertz. Lagway is praised for his massive arm strength and athleticism, but will have to cut his turnovers at his next landing spot.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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