Former 5-star QB’s dramatic transfer portal saga takes another unexpected turn

The NCAA transfer portal closed at the conclusion of Friday, January 16. That should mean the disarray around college football is slowing down, right? Not quite.

In the final hours before the transfer window, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah unexpectedly joined the market. The move could have somewhat of a domino effect on the sport.

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Mensah and former Florida signal-caller DJ Lagway are the only top-15 portal quarterbacks who have yet to sign with college programs. Lagway is committed to Baylor but hasn't officially joined the program.

Lagway's recruitment has provided plenty of twists and turns over the last few weeks. Now, he could ultimately step in as Mensah's replacement at Duke.

Former UF QB DJ Lagway Linked To Duke

According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Lagway is a name to know as a potential option to fill the void left by Mensah's departure.

This is certainly unexpected, though nothing should really be a surprise in this age of the sport. Lagway has kept his options open since leaving the Gators following the regular season. He took early visits to Florida State and Virginia and was expected to visit Stanford before committing to Baylor while in Waco.

At the time, it seemed like Lagway was off the board and headed to the Big 12. Instead, Lagway visited Ole Miss shortly after it was announced that Trinidad Chambliss had been denied a sixth season of eligibility.

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Lagway has all of the power at this point, with multiple programs interested in his services. Ole Miss is likely out of the sweepstakes after landing former Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight, while Florida State (Ashton Daniels) and Virginia (Beau Pribula, Eli Holstein) also filled their openings.

However, Duke has shown it isn't shy to pony up for the right player. The Blue Devils signed Mensah to a two-year/$8 million deal to secure his services from Tulane. With those funds back on the table, would it make sense for the program to take a gamble on Lagway?

It's something Duke will have to seriously consider, especially with the program coming off its first ACC Championship.

Immensely talented and carrying a vast ceiling, injuries and inconsistency have plagued Lagway during his first two seasons at the college level.

Lagway went 6-1 as a starter in 2024, saving Billy Napier's job. With that said, he led the SEC in interceptions and never truly looked comfortable this past season, which led to the Gators making a coaching change.

In 24 appearances, Lagway has completed 328/529 passes for 4,179 yards with 28 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. He added 122 rushes for 237 yards and 1 more score.

Lagway was regarded as the No. 7 overall prospect and the No. 2 QB in the 2024 class, earning a five-star distinction from 247Sports.

The recruiting service has Lagway as the No. 4 QB in the transfer portal, while On3 slots him in at No. 10.

Lagway stands at 6-foot-3, 247-pounds. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

During his prep career at Willis High School, Lagway accumulated nearly 8,400 passing yards and 100 touchdowns, along with nearly 2,200 rushing yards and 29 more scores. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.

Former UF QB DJ Lagway Linked To Duke

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