Dave Aranda says DJ Lagway was looking to be “free” after a restrictive experience at Florida.
Lagway is set to be QB1 for Aranda’s Baylor Bears in 2026 as a true junior. After two seasons in the spotlight at Florida, Lagway opted to enter the transfer portal for Year 3 after UF fired Billy Napier and hired Jon Sumrall.
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Aranda visited the ESPNU set on Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days and described some of his initial impressions of Lagway, including what he saw from the QB as a prospective transfer in the offseason.
“He’s very driven; there is a huge chip on his shoulder. I could see on the recruiting trip, … I could see someone that just wanted to be free,” Aranda said, per On3. “Like (he was in) straight jacket, maybe, someone that is just all boxed in and boxed up and just wanted to be free, express himself, play free. And I think he’s felt that (freedom) … at Baylor.”
Lagway committed to Florida in 2022 as a 5-star recruit, but did not arrive on campus until 2024. As a true freshman, he stepped into the starting quarterback role following Graham Mertz’s season-ending injury. With Lagway as QB1, Florida finished the regular season strong with wins over Ole Miss, LSU and FSU before defeating Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The momentum from 2025 led to lofty expectations for Lagway and the Gators in 2026, but he struggled throughout his sophomore season after being sidelined in the offseason to deal with injuries.
Lagway started all 12 games for a 4-8 Florida team. After throwing 12 touchdowns to 9 interceptions as a freshman, he posted a 16-14 TD-to-interception ratio as a sophomore. Lagway threw for 2,264 yards in 2025, a rate of 6.7 yards per attempt, down from 10.0 as a freshman.
Dave Aranda uses ‘straight jacket’ to describe DJ Lagway’s Florida experience Saturday Down South.
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