 Lagway after the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl | |
| No. 2 – Florida Gators | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Sophomore |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2005-08-13)August 13, 2005 (age 20) Willis, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 241 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Willis (Willis, Texas) |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats atESPN | |
Derek "DJ"Lagway Jr. (born August 13, 2005) is an Americancollege footballquarterback for theFlorida Gators.
Lagway attendedWillis High School inWillis,Texas.[1][2] As a junior in 2022, he passed for 2,081 yards with 24touchdowns and fiveinterceptions.[3] Prior to his senior season in 2023, Lagway participated in theElite 11.[4] As a senior, he passed for 4,631 yards with a Texas Class 6A record 58 touchdown passes, and added 975 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns.[5][6] He was named theMaxPreps National Player of the Year[7] andMr. Texas Football.[8] For his career, Lagway had 8,392 passing yards and 100 passing touchdowns with 2,196 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.[9]
A five-star recruit, Lagway committed to theUniversity of Florida to playcollege football.[10][11][12]
Lagway entered his true freshman season with theFlorida Gators in 2024 as the backup toGraham Mertz.[13] After Mertz was placed in concussion protocol following the season opener againstMiami, Lagway was named the starting quarterback againstSamford.[14] In his first ever start, Lagway threw for 456 yards and 3 touchdowns.[15] Over the following few games, Lagway split playing time with Mertz.[16] Mertz suffered a season-ending injury againstTennessee and Lagway was inserted as the team's starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.[17]
Lagway's first game after Mertz's injury was a 48-20 victory over rivalKentucky. In his start againstGeorgia, Lagway suffered a left hamstring injury and was carted off.[18] After missing only one game of action, he returned for the final three games of the regular season, defeating#22 LSU,#9 Ole Miss, andFlorida State.[19] He also started when the Gatorsdefeated Tulane 33-8 in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl.
In his seven starts, he helped lead Florida to a 6–1 record and a bowl win.[20]
Lagway opened the season as the starting quarterback.[21] Against theLSU Tigers he suffered the worst performance of his career, finishing 33 of 49 for 287 yards, one touchdown, and 5 interceptions.[22] The Gators lost the game 20-10, with one of the two touchdowns allowed coming off of a Lagway interception. Against theTexas Longhorns, Lagway passed for 298 yards in the Gators 29-21 victory and he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.[23][24] Lagway followed up his performance against Texas by throwing for two touchdowns in a loss versusTexas A&M, as well as two interceptions in a win versusMississippi State, after which coachBilly Napier was fired and wide receivers coachBilly Gonzales was elevated to interim head coach.
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2024 | Florida | 12 | 7 | 6−1 | 115 | 192 | 59.9 | 1,915 | 10.0 | 12 | 9 | 154.9 | 50 | 101 | 2.0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | Florida | 7 | 7 | 3–4 | 145 | 222 | 65.3 | 1,513 | 6.5 | 9 | 9 | 127.8 | 35 | 12 | 0.3 | 0 | |
| Career | 18 | 13 | 8–5 | 240 | 380 | 63.2 | 3,148 | 8.3 | 21 | 16 | 142.6 | 80 | 105 | 1.3 | 0 | ||
He is the son of Derek and Nikita Nephew Lagway. His father, Derek Lagway, played college football atBaylor University.[25]
