High School

Another Lagway? Florida Gators Offer Texas Sophomore DB Jamal Lagway, Brother of Star QB DJ Lagway

The Lagway family could soon have two stars in Gainesville. Now a sophomore, defensive back Jamal Lagway is collecting offers, with the Gators and No. 3 Texas A&M leading the way

Levi Payton

One day after picking up his first Power Four offer, Willis (Texas) sophomore DB Jamal Lagway added another.
One day after picking up his first Power Four offer, Willis (Texas) sophomore DB Jamal Lagway added another. / Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jamal Lagway might not ever get a chance to pick off his older brother in college. But he could pick up where his brother left off in the next couple of years.

Jamal, a sophomore defensive back at Willis (Texas) High School, picked up an offer from the Florida Gators on Tuesday.

If the name Lagway sounds synonymous with the Gators, it should. Jamal’s older brother is DJ Lagway, a 2024 five-star recruit who is currently the Gators’ sophomore starting quarterback.

Like Father, Like Son... But On Defense

It would only make sense for Jamal to wind up playing major Division I college football, like his brother. Their father, Derek Lagway, was a running back at Baylor from 1997 to 2001 who played in the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 seasons.

Unlike his father and brother, Jamal’s future seems to be on the defensive side of the ball, where he gets to do the hitting instead of getting hit. He’s had plenty of early success in that hitting department, too.

Helping the Wildkats to a 7-2 record so far, the 6-foot, 160-pound cornerback is listed by MaxPreps as having collected 24 tackles, including 13 solo and one for a loss, to go along with three pass breakups in five games this season.

Offers Have Been Rolling In

As he’s worked to add size and strength to his wiry frame (his brother is listed at 6-foot-3, 247 pounds), the size and scope of Jamal’s offers have also swelled.

He picked up his first collegiate offer way back on May 9 from Sacramento State and didn’t get another until Sept. 30 when, four days after recording four tackles, including two solo and one for loss, and breaking up a pass in a 49-6 blowout at Cleveland, New Mexico pitched him an offer.

Things heated up again this week. The Wildkats crushed Conroe Oak Ridge 58-7 on Friday, and on Monday he received an offer from Texas A&M, his third, with Florida following suit Tuesday with his fourth.

To date, his biggest flex is the offer from Mike Elko’s Aggies, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation — behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, and just ahead of No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia — and sit firmly in the College Football Playoff picture with an 8-0 record.

Florida's Chaos Didn't Stop the Offer

Florida, meanwhile, is facing some adversity. Its offer comes just nine days after the ouster of head coach Billy Napier, who was fired on Oct. 19, one day after a 23-21 win against Mississippi State and two weeks removed from a 29-21 upset against Texas.

The Gators won two of their final three games during Napier’s tenure, but it wasn’t enough to save his job. They began the season 1-3, beating Long Island University in their opener before dropping three straight against South Florida, LSU and Miami (Florida). Florida lost to Texas A&M 34-17 on Oct. 11.

Billy Gonzales stepped in as interim head coach after Napier’s firing, and an offer to Jamal Lagway soon followed. As for DJ, who passed for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a true freshman last season, he’s completed 65.3 percent of his passes as a sophomore for 1,513 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

DJ Lagway Florida Gators QB
Oct 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) warms up before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

With lots of time left to decide his future, and with more offers expected, Jamal Lagway can focus his attention on Friday’s district opponent, Spring Grand Oaks. But when Saturday rolls around, he’ll have reasons beyond his brother to pay attention to the Gators.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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